The Media Story: Sensation And Its Limits

The Ice Maiden’s discovery was one of the major archaeological news stories of the 1990s.

The combination of elements — a preserved ancient body, extraordinary tattoos, a female figure, an exotic and remote setting — was ideal for the kind of popular coverage that generates headlines and documentary films.

The media treatment that the Ice Maiden received was, inevitably, a mixture of accurate representation and sensationalism.

The “princess” label was almost universally applied, despite its specific problems.