Scientists Find Unexpected ‘Signs of Life’ Inside 5,300-Year-Old Mummy

Scientists examining Ötzi the Iceman have discovered a complex mixture of ancient and modern microorganisms associated with his preserved body. Some cold-adapted yeasts recovered from the mummy remain capable of growing under laboratory conditions.

The phrase “signs of life” does not mean Ötzi himself retains living tissue. It refers to microorganisms that colonised his body before or after death and appear able to survive—or remain potentially active—under freezing museum conditions.