Did “Iceman” of Alps Die as Human Sacrifice?
Now, based on new evidence, an archaeologist affiliated with the National Geographic Society has proposed that the “Iceman” was killed as a sacrifice to the gods. “I know it’s controversial,” Johan Reinhard said of his theory, of which a number of experts are skeptical. “But it’s time to reexamine the evidence from a different perspective. Let’s look at these artifacts not only relative to each other but also within social, sacred, and geographic contexts.” Reinhard, a National Geographic explorer-in-residence, is an expert on cultures of the Andes, the Himalaya, and other regions and an authority on mummies and ritual sacrifices. Among the many mummies he has discovered is the Inca “Ice Maiden,” which was found on the frozen summit of Peru’s Mount Ampato in 1995 and determined to be a victim of sacrifice. Reinhard said the arrowhead wound, which was overlooked in previous examinations, makes it clear that the Iceman was shot in the back. “It might have been murder,” said Reinhard, “or
