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Science 31 October 2003:
Vol. 302. no. 5646, pp. 862 - 866
DOI: 10.1126/science.1089837
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Reports

Origin and Migration of the Alpine Iceman

Wolfgang Müller,1* Henry Fricke,2 Alex N. Halliday,3 Malcolm T. McCulloch,1 Jo-Anne Wartho4

The Alpine Iceman provides a unique window into the Neolithic-Copper Age of Europe. We compared the radiogenic (strontium and lead) and stable (oxygen and carbon) isotope composition of the Iceman's teeth and bones, as well as 40Ar/39Ar mica ages from his intestine, to local geology and hydrology, and we inferred his habitat and range from childhood to adult life. The Iceman's origin can be restricted to a few valleys within ~60 kilometers south(east) of the discovery site. His migration during adulthood is indicated by contrasting isotopic compositions of enamel, bones, and intestinal content. This demonstrates that the Alpine valleys of central Europe were permanently inhabited during the terminal Neolithic.

1 Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia.
2 Department of Geology, Colorado College, 14 East Cache La Poudre Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80903, USA.
3 Department of Earth Sciences, ETH Zürich, CH-8092 Zürich, Switzerland.
4 Department of Applied Geology, Curtin University of Technology, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: wolfgang.mueller{at}anu.edu.au

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