The arrow had been shot from behind and below, striking at an angle that would have penetrated the subclavian artery — one of the major blood vessels of the shoulder.

This wound would have been rapidly fatal, causing massive internal bleeding and death within minutes.

He had been shot in the back.

This was not an accident.

This was not an animal attack.

This was murder.

The realization transformed Ötzi from a fascinating archaeological specimen into a victim whose death was a crime — a crime committed approximately 5,300 years ago, but a crime nonetheless.

The investigation that followed drew on the resources of forensic science as much as archaeology.