Pollen found in the stomach contents added a geographical dimension. Hop-hornbeam pollen, which flowers at lower altitudes (roughly 1,200 meters), was found in the stomach. Since Ötzi died at over 3,200 meters, this pollen must have been consumed at a lower altitude before he made his final ascent. The pollen’s freshness — meaning it had been deposited recently rather than the dried autumn pollen that would have been in a stored food supply — suggests he was at a lower elevation near Hop-hornbeam trees shortly before his death, probably in spring or early summer when that tree flowers.
The timing of his death has been estimated as late spring to early summer (around June) based on the pollen evidence and the condition of the food remains. This contradicts some earlier estimates of an autumn death and aligns with a period when the high Alpine passes would have become passable after winter.
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## Isotopic Evidence: Reading Where He Lived
Stable isotope analysis of Ötzi’s bones and teeth provided another line of evidence about his geographical movements during his lifetime.
The enamel of teeth forms during childhood and retains a chemical record of the food and water consumed during the years of enamel formation. The strontium and oxygen isotope ratios in tooth enamel reflect the geology and hydrology of the region where a child grows up — different rock types and different water sources leave different isotopic signatures.
Analysis of Ötzi’s tooth enamel pointed to a childhood in the Eisack valley region of South Tyrol, specifically in an area geologically consistent with the region around Feldthurns — a small village on the valley floor south of Brixen/Bressanone. The geological signature matched the local limestone and sandstone formations that characterize that valley.