Before Reading

Who Killed the Iceman?

Magazine Article

Skeletal Sculptures
Process Description by Donna M. Jackson

VIDEO TRAILER KEYWORD: HML9-578

How do scientists
UNLOCK the past?
Everyone knows bones and corpses can’t talk. Or can they? As you
may know from true-crime shows or sci-fi thrillers, human remains
often have their own stories to tell. As police detectives unravel
READING 9C Make subtle intricate cases and scientists investigate unexplained phenomena,
inferences and draw complex these remains often tell stories that help piece the past together.
conclusions about the ideas in
text and their organizational
patterns. Crim in al In ve st
DISCUSS What types of criminal or scientific investigation ig ation
11B Analyze factual data
presented in multiple graphical do you know about? With a partner, choose a type to Method Purpose
sources. discuss. List the methods investigators use to track 1. Finger- Identify
down the truth. Then briefly explain the purpose of each printing suspect
method. 2.

3.

578
 Background
elements of nonfiction: text features
Stumbling onto a Mummy
Text features are design elements that highlight the “Who Killed the Iceman?” chronicles some
organization and key information of a text. They can help of the theories surrounding the death of a
you preview what you’ll read and recognize key ideas. man who met his demise around 3000 b.c.
The “Iceman,” the oldest frozen mummy
• Subheadings signal the beginning of a new topic or section. ever found, was discovered by German
They often identify the focus of the text that follows them. hikers vacationing in the Alps. When they
• Graphic aids, such as maps and photographs, present spied a body embedded in the ice, the hikers
information visually. They are frequently accompanied assumed they had found the remains of a
mountain climber who’d met a dismal fate.
by captions, which describe or clarify the information.
They had no idea they’d stumbled onto a
• Numbered lists often consist of steps in a process that 5,000-year-old relic. The Iceman now resides
should be followed in order. at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology
in Bolzano, Italy.
As you read, use text features to help you find, comprehend,
and analyze the important information in each article.

reading strategy: take notes

Who Killed the Iceman?
When you take notes, your goal should Background
be to record a text’s main ideas and • He was frozen for
key information in a way that is easy to 5,000 years.
understand and remember. Since text • Hikers found him in 1991
features highlight main ideas and key on the border between
information, including them in your Austria and Italy.
notes can help.
As you read each section of “Who Skeletal Sculptures Rescue workers and forensic experts examine
Killed the Iceman?” jot down its the Iceman.
Facial Reconstruction
subheading. Then record the important step 1 Crime-Fighting Scientists
details included in the section. “Skeletal Sculptures” describes how forensic
As you read “Skeletal Sculptures,” step 2 anthropologists help police track down the
note the key information in each step. truth. Anthropology is the scientific study of
step 3 humans—our origins, behavior, environment,
Review: Monitor and physical features. Forensics is the
use of science to solve crimes. Forensic
vocabulary in context anthropologists use their knowledge of
Find a word that could be used in each newspaper headline. human characteristics to assist in cracking
tough cases involving human remains. The
scientists identify the victim’s age, sex,
word anthropology compile refute
race, and physical characteristics. They also
list artifact presumed determine the likely cause of death, which
makes them an integral part of many murder
1. Woman Thought Guilty of Murder investigations.
2. New Study to Pull Together Years of Research
3. Unusual Object Found in Archaeological Dig
4. Science Spotlight: Ancient Tribes
5. Scholar to Deny Accuracy of Theory

Complete the activities in your Reader/Writer Notebook.

who killed . . . / skeletal . . . 579

a TEXT FEATURES a
Examine this photograph
and its accompanying
caption. Does the
5,000-year-old mummy
look as you expected him
to, or does his appearance
surprise you? Explain
your answer.

Among the first to reach the scene, these mountaineers used makeshift tools to help
free the mummy.

Background
He spent some 5,000 years frozen in a mountain glacier on the Austro-Italian
border before passing hikers discovered him, sprawled in the melting snow,
b TAKE NOTES in 1991. He now resides in a refrigerated room at a museum in Italy. Over
What is the most the 11 years since his discovery the Iceman mummy has been examined from
important information every possible angle. But not until this past summer did those studying his still
provided in the section frozen body notice a crucial piece of evidence that dramatically rewrites his
labeled “Background”?
Be sure to record each
story: “Ötzi,” nicknamed for the Ötztal Alps where he was found, didn’t freeze
section’s essential details to death in a sudden snow storm while tending sheep as some had suggested.
in your notes. Instead he was killed, a victim of warfare, murder, or human sacrifice. b

580 unit 5: author’s purpose

 Clues Discovered
Language Coach
Roots and Affixes A
10 X-rays reveal an arrowhead buried deep in the Iceman’s left shoulder— prefix is an affix (word
an injury that could not possibly have been self-inflicted. This discovery part) added before a
consequently led archaeologists to believe that the Iceman had been killed. root or base word. One
The wound, visible as a small dark smudge beneath the mummy’s leathery meaning of the prefix
pro- is “forward.” What do
skin, had been overlooked in all previous examinations. Though no arrow you think protrudes in line
shaft protrudes from the wound and no blood marks the arrow’s entrance, 15 means? (Hint: the root
it’s now clear that the Iceman was shot in the back. But who did it? And why? -trud- means “thrust.”)

X-Ray Vision It was not until scientists c c TEXT FEATURES

performed a CT scan—a type of 3-D X-ray— How do these
that they saw the arrowhead buried in the photographs support
Iceman’s shoulder blade. the main idea of the
“Clues Discovered”
section? Explain, citing
details from the text
and the photos.

Differing Theories d d TAKE NOTES

As you begin reading
“There’s no way anyone can ever really know,” says archaeologist Johan
the section about the
Reinhard, a National Geographic Society explorer-in-residence. “It might controversy surrounding
have been murder. Or it might have been ritual sacrifice.”1 Ötzi’s death, take careful
20 Reinhard knows mummies. Among the many he has discovered is the notes to keep track of the
Inca “ice maiden,” a victim of sacrifice, on the frozen slopes of Peru’s Nevado differing theories.
Ampato2 in 1995. His experience studying mountain cultures in the Andes,
the Himalayas, and elsewhere has convinced him that the Iceman’s death was
not a random killing.

1. ritual sacrifice: a sacrifice that is part of a religious ceremony.

2. Nevado Ampato (nE-väPdI äm-päPtI): a volcano in the Central Andes.

who killed the iceman? 581

 “Look at where he died,” Reinhard says. “It’s a prominent pass, between
two of the highest peaks in the Ötztal Alps. This is the kind of place
where people from mountain cultures have traditionally made offerings
to their mountain gods. We know that mountain worship was important
in prehistoric Europe during the Bronze Age,” he says. “And there is good
30 evidence that it may also have played a role earlier, in the Copper Age.”3
artifact (ärPtE-fBktQ) n. Reinhard’s interpretation seems to answer questions about artifacts found
something created by with the mummy that have long puzzled experts. For example, breaking
humans, usually for a
objects was a ceremonial practice in Neolithic4 Europe. This might explain
practical purpose
the broken arrows lying near the mummy. The Iceman’s copper ax—the
oldest prehistoric ax in Europe with its bindings and handle intact—is also
significant. Its copper had to have been mined, and mountains, as the source
of valuable metals used to make tools, “were worshiped by miners throughout
the world,” says Reinhard. “This helps explain why the ax was left with the
body after the killing.” Murderers would likely have taken something so
40 useful with them. But people performing a ritual might have left it for the
TEKS 11B Iceman’s use in the afterlife or as a tribute to the gods.
e GRAPHICAL e
SOURCES Where Ötzi Died
Examine the map that AUSTRIA
accompanies this article. SWITZERLAND „ß)NNSBRUCK

Graphical sources dTZTALß!LPS

such as maps clarify

information in the text 6ENICE߄
and present additional
factual data. What
information does this
map convey? List two ITALY
details you can learn
from this graphical
source.

Ötzi was found at approximately 10, 500 feet in

the Ötztal Alps on the border between Austria
and Italy. After closely examining Ötzi’s clothing
and possessions—including a sheath and dagger
(shown at right)—archaeologists realized they had
uncovered a 5, 300-year-old find.

3. Bronze Age . . . Copper Age: The Bronze Age in Europe, when bronze tools began to be used, lasted
roughly from 3500 b.c. to 1000 b.c. The Copper Age overlaps with the earliest part of the Bronze Age.
4. Neolithic (nCQE-lGthPGk): having to do with the prehistoric period when food growing began, but before
metal tools were used—about 4000 b.c. in Europe.

582 unit 5: author’s purpose

 Another clue: The Iceman’s
body was found in a naturally
formed trench along the pass.
Prior explanations had him
taking shelter there from
sudden bad weather. “But the
trench is not deep and is at
a high point of the pass. It
50 would have been a poor place
to sit out a storm,” explains
Reinhard. Perhaps, instead,
the Iceman was buried there
by whoever killed him, which
would account for the body’s
being so well preserved. f f MONITOR
Reinhard’s ideas have not One important part
of monitoring your
been met with enthusiasm by
reading is evaluating
European experts. In contrast A scientist examines the skeletal remains the information that’s
60 with his beliefs, the mummy’s of the Iceman. provided. Do you find
caretaker, pathologist Eduard Reinhard’s theory
Egarter Vigl of South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, believes that Ötzi may convincing? Why or
why not?
have been fleeing from an attacker, saying, “The Iceman was hit by an arrow
from behind.” Others maintain that arrows aren’t efficient means of ritual
killing and that no clear evidence of any other Copper Age sacrifice exists.

So Who Killed the Iceman?

refute (rG-fyLtP) v.
“They view the idea of human sacrifice as too sensational,” says Reinhard. to prove false by
“But they can’t refute what I’ve pointed out, and I believe my theory better argument or evidence
explains the known facts.
“I know it’s controversial,” he admits. “But it’s time to compile all the compile (kEm-pFlP) v.
70 evidence and reexamine it from a different perspective. Let’s look at these to put together by
gathering from
artifacts not only relative to each other but also within social, sacred, and
many sources
geographical contexts.”

who killed the iceman? 583

 Skeletal SCULPTURES

Dr. Michael Charney is an expert

anthropology in forensic1 anthropology. His
(BnQthrE-pJlPE-jC) n. the expertise has enabled him to take
science or study of human
beings, including their
a few pieces of a skeleton found in
physical characteristics Missouri and compile a portrait
and cultures of a five-foot, 120-pound Asian
woman in her mid-twenties. Still,
that isn’t enough to identify her.
The dead woman’s “face” needs
10 to be brought back to life.
Language Coach Reconstructing the likeness
Multiple Meanings of a person in clay, using the
Many words have more skull as a guide, is a last resort
than one meaning.
at identification, Dr. Charney Dr. Michael Charney measures a
Reread lines 11–15.
Likeness can mean says. It gives police a new lead to skull with spreading calipers.
“portrait,” “similarity,” follow, a visual clue that can be
or “appearance.” Which photographed and displayed in affect the face’s appearance and
meaning best fits the the media. aid in the identification process.
word’s use in these lines?
Facial reconstruction is not If the nose bone is curved to one
40 side, for example, it’s important
20 an identifying tool, he warns.
The goal is to trigger someone to show it in the face because it’s a
to recognize the model and to distinguishing feature.
identify the person through “We have to be careful, how-
scientific means. ever, not to include anything that
“All that’s needed is a general happened at the time of death,”
recognition that it looks like so- Bitner notes, “because it wouldn’t
g MONITOR and-so,” he says. g be recognizable to others.”
As you read, stop to Before re-creating a face, Dr. Age also influences how a face
clarify: why does Dr.
Charney and forensic sculptor is built. Wrinkled skin, which
Charney call facial 50 might help illustrate an older
30 Nita Bitner search the skull
reconstruction “a last
for signs of disease, injury, and person, is often incorporated into
resort at identification”?
structural defects. a sculpture for accuracy.
“We look for things that After studying the Missouri
shouldn’t be there,” Bitner says. woman’s skull, Bitner makes a
“Sometimes we find broken latex mold and pours a plaster cast.
noses, cuts, or dentures.” These Now she’s ready to sculpt the face.

1. forensic: having to do with applying scientific methods to crime investigation.

584 unit 5: author’s purpose

 1. Forensic sculptor Nita Bitner
begins a facial restoration by
cutting round rubber pegs into
different lengths. The pegs,
called landmarks, represent
the thickness of the soft tissue
(muscle, fat, and skin) at
different points on the face.
These tissue depths, which vary
for men and women of varying
ages, were first calculated from
corpses by nineteenth-century
scientists and later updated. h h TAKE NOTES
As you read the
numbered items in
this section, record the
steps of the process in
your notes. For each
step, include only the
details that are
most important.

2. She then glues the rubber

pegs to the skull cast.

3. Bitner “connects the dots”

with strips of modeling clay.
When attaching the strips
of clay, she begins at the
forehead and works her way
down to the cheekbones,
nasal area, chin, and mouth.

4. Once the dots are

connected, Bitner fills in
the spaces with clay and
fleshes out the face. Now
the prominent cheekbones
of the Missouri woman
become strikingly clear.
Suddenly her broad face
and delicate nose emerge.

skeletal sculptures 585

 5. As Bitner smooths the clay with
her thumb and fingers, the face
develops like a photograph.

6. Bitner sets the plastic brown

eyes in their sockets.

7. Next come the eyelids.

8. Bitner then sculpts the sides

of the nose.

9. She measures the nose with

a ruler to ensure it is the
correct width.

586 unit 5: author’s purpose

10. Now it’s time to mold the
upper lip.

11. The face is nearly

complete. Because
the Missouri woman is
presumed to be Asian, presumed (prG-zLmdP)
Bitner will add a black wig. adj. thought to be true
She will then add a scarf presume v.
for a finishing touch.

12. The model is now ready

to be photographed and
publicized in the media so
that millions of amateur
detectives can help solve
the riddle of her identity. i i TEXT FEATURES
Review the
photographs
illustrating the
process. Which step
do you think is the
most critical for
transforming a skull
into a recognizable
human face? Explain
your answer.

skeletal sculptures 587

 After Reading

Comprehension
1. Recall Why is the Iceman nicknamed Ötzi?
2. Summarize What is Johan Reinhard’s theory about how the Iceman died? READING 9C Make subtle
inferences and draw complex
3. Clarify What is facial reconstruction, and for what is it used? conclusions about the ideas in text
and their organizational patterns.
10A Analyze the relevance, quality,
Critical Analysis and credibility of evidence given to
support or oppose an argument for
4. Summarize Notes Review the notes you took as you read “Skeletal a specific audience.
Sculptures.” Using these, summarize the process of facial reconstruction. 11B Analyze factual data presented
in multiple graphical sources
5. Draw Conclusions In your opinion, is disagreement between scientists helpful
or harmful to further investigation? Use evidence from “Who Killed the
Iceman?” to support your conclusion.
6. Analyze Text Features If you had simply scanned the text features—the title,
subheads, and graphic aids—of “Who Killed the Iceman?” would you have had
an accurate idea of what the article was about? Explain your answer.
7. Evaluate Complete the chart below, noting the information that each
method of investigation provided to the scientists studying the Iceman.
Which method do you think yielded the most crucial information? Explain.

Method of Investigation Information Provided

..
X-rays of Otzi ’s shoulder

Analysis of where the body was found

Evaluation of artifacts found with the Iceman’s body

reading-writing connection
writing prompt revising tip
Short Response: Compare and Contrast Review your response.
How do Reinhard’s theories about the mummy’s Did you clearly explain
death and the evidence he offers differ from those each of the differing
of the other scientists mentioned in “Who Killed theories? Did you
the Iceman?” Using your notes and examples from include the evidence
the text, write one or two paragraphs comparing each theory relies
and contrasting Reinhard’s theories with the other upon?
scientists’ beliefs.

How do scientists UNLOCK the past?

How does learning about the past give us insight into our own time?

588 unit 5: author’s purpose

Vocabulary in Context word list
vocabulary practice anthropology
Decide whether these statements are true or false. artifact
compile
1. A wildflower originally identified centuries ago is an ancient artifact.
presumed
2. If I refute an argument, I make a convincing case against it.
refute
3. To write a good report, you should compile information from
several sources.
4. A person interested in animal behavior might want to study anthropology.
5. Someone presumed to be at fault has already been proved wrong.

academic vocabulary in speaking

• conclude • construct • implicit • primary • specific

When you listen to oral instructions, you can’t rely on illustrated steps like those
in “Skeletal Sculptures,” but you can include clarifying questions in your notes
to ask the speaker directly. Use at least two Academic Vocabulary words each
as you practice giving and following oral instructions: Think of a task or process
you’ve performed or a specific problem you’ve solved by following steps. Prepare
the steps as instructions and present them orally to a partner. Then switch roles.
Can you conclude that you understood each other’s instructions? Explain.

vocabulary strategy: specialized fields, or “ologies”

The words for many fields of study, such as anthropology, end with the Greek
suffix -ology, meaning “study of.” The word for the person doing the studying
often ends in -ologist, as in anthropologist. Many of these words, such as READING 1A Determine the
toxicology (the study of poisons), are recognizable because they have a familiar meaning of grade-level technical
academic English words in multiple
root. Others, like penology (the study of prisons), have a Greek or Latin root you content areas derived from Latin or
may have to learn. Greek roots and affixes.
LISTENING AND SPEAKING
24B Follow and give complex oral
PRACTICE Choose the word in parentheses that fits each sentence. Use context instructions to perform specific
clues, your knowledge of roots, or, if necessary, a dictionary. tasks, answer questions, solve
problems, and complete processes.
1. Because his grandfather had Alzheimer’s disease, Jeremy decided
to specialize in (gerontology, geology).
2. A (cosmetologist, criminologist) was brought in to examine the
murder scene.
3. If you study (ornithology, psychology), you will become an expert on birds.
4. Please have your hearing checked by an (audiologist, ecologist).
5. Ed, an amateur (cytologist, herpetologist), viewed lizards, snakes, Interactive
and turtles near the beach. Vocabulary
6. Learning a little about (meteorology, oncology) helped me Go to thinkcentral.com.
KEYWORD: HML9-589
anticipate thunderstorms.

who killed the iceman? / skeletal sculptures 589