Environmental Simulation for Safe Preservation of Wet Mummies: The Case of 'Ötzi,' the Man from the Ice

Archeological signs of the past can be impressive when discovered but the first question that arises is how to preserve them for the future. In particular, when organic materials, such as human bodies, are discovered, the technical issues relevant to the preservation environment become critical and the design requirements are often opposed to the physical laws. One of the most important discoveries in this area was "Ötzi." the man from the ice, a 5,500-year-old mummy found in the Similaun glacier. The peculiarity of this mummy is that it is "wet." not "dry" like Egyptian mummies. To preserve this treasure, which is a witness to human evolution, a special thermal safe had to be designed and manufactured. This safe is currently maintained in the museum of Bolzano, Italy. Environmental chamber technology has been used as a baseline to implement a state-of-the art preservation system which demonstrates that wet mummies can be preserved and, at the same time, be displayed for future generations