18 research outputs found
How to find the bogmoss, Sphagnum imbricatum s.l., in South Tyrol, Italy: Microscopically examine the Iceman’s colon contents
Six mosses from the Tyrolean Iceman's alimentary tract and their significance for his ethnobotany and the events of his last days
Six different mosses have been recognised in samples taken from the intestinal contents of the 5,200-year-old Iceman from the Eastern Alps. Four of the species are important in understanding the lifestyle of the man and/or bear on the events during the last few days of his life: Anomodon viticulosus, Hymenostylium recurvirostrum, Neckera complanata and Sphagnum imbricatum. The past and present chorology and habitats of the Hymenostylium are discussed in detail, as is the ethnobotany of the Sphagnum concerning both the Iceman and Kwaday Dan Ts'inchi, the first ancient glacier body from North America