SPIEGEL ONLINE
August 25, 2006	

ARCHEOLOGICAL SENSATION

Ancient Mummy Found in Mongolia

The spectacular find of the frozen remains of a Scythian warrior in
Mongolia by an international team of archeologists could shed new
light on ancient life. Some of those findings will be the subject of a
major exhibition in Berlin next year.

Scientists in Berlin this week gave their first major press conference
about the spectacular discovery of a frozen mummy in Mongolia's Altai
mountains. The frozen corpse, embedded in permafrost, is considered
one of the greatest archeological finds since climbers came across the
mummified remains of Ötzi, the ice man, in an alpine glacier. The
corpse of the Scythian warrior could help provide clues about how
people lived 2,500 years ago and about what illnesses they suffered.

"The mummy is unbelievably valuable to science," Hermann Parzinger,
president of the German Archeological Institute (DAI), said on
Thursday in Berlin. He described the mummy recently discovered in
Mongolia as a "one of a kind find" that could increase our knowledge
about the nutrition and health of early man.

The mummy, which is believed to be about 2,500 years old was a
30-to-40 year-old man with blond hair, and was found in very good
condition, Patzinger said. It's too delicate for exhibition, but new
techniques developed following other recent discoveries of frozen
mummies will enable scientists to study the remains in detail. The
newly discovered Altai mummy has been compared to the discovery of
Ötzi in southern Tyrol in 1991 and a tattooed Siberian ice princess in
1993.

The mummy was found in a difficult to access part of the Altai
mountain region at an altitude of 2,600 meters (8,500 feet) in an area
bordering Mongolia, China and Russia. Scientists from Germany,
Mongolia and Russia came across the intact burial mount of the
Scythian warrior in permafrost ground at the end of July. The
Scythians were a nomadic people who lived around 700 years BC in a
region that spanned from southern Russia and the Ukraine to the
Dnieper River.

The warrior, whose cause of death has not been determined, was buried
in full dress. "He wore a fur coat made of marmot fur with sheep's
wool lining and adorned with sable," Parzinger said. Beneath the fur
coat, traces could be found of woven wool pants. The man's feet were
covered by knee-high felt boots. "There could be more surprises when
we remove the clothing from the partly mummified body," he added.
Parzinger said researchers believe the decorations indicated he was a
man of nobility.

The scientist also said there would likely by a major exhibition in
Berlin next year about the Scythian warrior discovery that would, he
hopes, include some of the artifacts found at the site. The man was
buried together with two horses whose bridles are still in good
condition. Parts of the animal carcasses were also still intact --
including flesh, skin and hide.

The finds are currently being studied in the Mongolian capital city of
Ulan Bator. "But we're still not certain what will be restored," DAI
President Patzinger said.

dsl/ddp/ap