From Jan/Feb '99

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Iceman Follows McDougall Diet

OTZE the Ice Man, the 5,000-year-old corpse discovered six years ago in the Oetztaler Alps between Austria and Italy, was most likely a vegan (consumed no animal products). Analysis of his hair has revealed that his diet was lacking in meat and dairy products. The finding is part of a research program, conducted with scientists from Oxford University, to unlock the secrets of ancient lives from their hair. The Neolithic Ice Man was some years ago thought by some to be a hunter, particularly as he carried a bow and an ax. But the arrows for the bow were not finished and the bow was unstrung. Scientists test the hair for its carbon, nitrogen and sulphur content and then analyze each of these elements to see what proportions they contain of their natural variants, or stable isotopes. Different food sources, for example, vegetable compared to meat, contain different proportions of these isotopes that are found in the hair. There was little indication of meat consumption by this ancient man.

From Jan/Feb '99

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