Beyond the tattoos, Ötzi’s body preserved an extraordinary medical record of a single prehistoric life.

The analysis of his mitochondrial DNA — which reveals information about cellular metabolism and health — detected the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium responsible for Lyme disease. Ötzi had Lyme disease, making him the earliest known human case of this tick-borne illness.

He likely had joint pain and fatigue as consequences of this infection, adding to the arthritic pain visible in his skeleton.

His gut flora — the microbial community in his digestive system — contained ancient strains of Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium associated with gastric ulcers.