The 2023 reanalysis applied those more sophisticated methods and produced a cleaner, more reliable result.

The lesson it demonstrated — that even high-profile, carefully conducted ancient DNA work can contain contamination that only better methods will reveal — is one that the field continues to grapple with.

Ancient genomics is a young science, and its findings are subject to revision as methods improve.

This is not a weakness of the science.

It is a strength.

The capacity to recognize and correct errors is what distinguishes science from dogma.

The 2023 reanalysis of Ötzi’s genome is an example of science working correctly: a previous finding was questioned, better methods were applied, and a more accurate result was obtained.