Otzi the prehistoric iceman goes online allowing users to virtually tour his body



A Stone Age warrior frozen in an icy tomb for 5,300 years can now be viewed in astonishing detail thanks to a new website.

The Iceman photoscan project took 150,000 high definition images of the perfectly preserved mummy from 12 different angles, which the researchers loaded onto the new website www.icemanphotoscan.eu.

This allows users to zoom into details that are just millimetres wide from the comfort of their living room. They can also view the mummy in 3D and see its distinctive tattoos in both white and UV light.

Otzi has been photographed using 12 different angle-shots

150,000 high definition images were taken of the iceman mummy

'This website allows an in-depth virtual contact with the mummy without compromising its sensitive preservation conditions,' Preservation Project Manager Marco Samadelli said.

'It is an opportunity for the wider public to discover and study a cultural heritage, unique to the world.'



Nicknamed Otzi, the prehistoric hunter is complete with fur and grass robes, leather shoes and bow and arrow.

Otzi is kept in a specially built museum in Bolzano, Italy. Visitors view the mummy through portholes into a specially refrigerated room.

'The current preservation conditions of the mummy prevent the wider public from getting close to it,' researchers from the European Academy Bozen said.



Scraps of clothing were found on the 5,300 year-old mummy

The intuitive zoom function lets users close in on interesting details such as Otzi's numerous tattoos (L). Some scientists have speculated the marks indicate a form of acupuncture



Otzi was discovered in ice by German tourists in 1991 on the Alpine mountains that marks the Italian-Austrian border.

Scientists estimate he was aged around 45, was 5ft 5" tall and weighed about 7.9st when he perished. They believe he died from exhaustion and an old, unhealed arrow wound.

Scientists believe Otzi died 5,300 years ago

The project also created 3D images of the mummy, but users will need their own 3D glasses to get the effect

The hunter was frozen with all his possessions including a bow, a quiver of arrows and a copper axe. He was wearing warm clothing including a cloak made of woven grass, a coat and leggings made from goatskin and a bearskin cap with a leather chin strap.

To see Otzi in high definition click here