Comparison of the lipid profile of the Tyrolean Iceman with bodies recovered from glaciers

Abstract

The lipid profile of biopsies from the Neolithic corpse discovered in aTyrolean alpine glacier in 1991 has been evaluated by gas-liquidchromatography/mass spectrometry. Furthermore, we analyzed tissuespecimens from human bodies, buried for some decades in glaciers, aswell as corresponding samples from fresh human corpses. The lipidprofiles of the prehistoric ice man and other bodies recovered fromglaciers were characterized by the presence of hydroxylated fatty acids,especially hydroxylated stearate. In comparison with other glaciercorpses, the higher concentration of unsaturated fatty acids inspecimens from the Tyrolean Iceman, indicates the good preservation ofthis body over a period of at least 5000 years. This could also beconfirmed by the preliminary results of chemometric analyses.