Otzi the iceman's stomach was full when he died

Otzi the iceman, a man who lived 5300 years ago, died less than an hour after his last meals, a new study has revealed.

Previous theories have indicated that Otzi was caught and murdered in Alps after a long and gruelling chase, when he was almost empty stomach, but new evidence indicate that this certainly wasn't the case.

Otzi's body was unearthed in 1991 inside a glacier near the mountainous border between Italy and Austria.

Albert Zink of the Institute for Mummies and the Iceman in Bolzano, Italy, and colleagues examined the mummy more closely and found that the empty 'stomach' was actually a section of Otzi's colon. They discovered that the real stomach had been pushed upwards, and now lies wedged under the iceman's ribs.

The contents examined by the researchers comprise loads of partially digested ibex meat.The iceman felt secure and had a rest with a large meal," New Scientist quoted Zink as saying.

"At a maximum of 30 to 60 minutes later - because otherwise his stomach would have emptied - he was shot from behind with an arrow."

The researchers also asserted that Otzi had three gallstones, supporting the notion that his diet was rich in animal fat. (ANI)