tzi kept an arrowhead hidden in his shoulder

One can study a mummy for years and still discover a decisive clue. In 2001, an X-ray revealed a flint arrowhead in tzi’s left shoulder. A small entrance wound is then identified in his back. The body thus retained the trace of a violence long remained unnoticed.

According to the Archaeological Museum of South Tyrol, the arrow reached an important artery, resulting in fatal blood loss. A serious head injury has also been observed, but its precise mechanism remains discussed. The stem was removed; the tip remained in the body.

These observations make it possible to speak of a violent death, without designating a culprit or fabricating his motive. The museum presents these questions as open. The investigation therefore gains in precision while retaining its limits. The found point does not tell the whole scene: it proves above all how much a tiny object can modify the reading of a body several millennia old.