South Tyrol Museum of Archeology

At the South Tyrol Museum of Archeology - "Südtiroler Archäologiemuseum" in German, "Museo Archeologico dell'Alto Adige" in Italian - you can see one of the most famous and most important mummies of the world: Oetzi, the Iceman. In 1991, a partly revealed and partly ice-covered human body was found by a couple from Nuremberg (Germany) at the Similaun Glacier in the Oetztal Alps. The place of recovery is located at more than 3,000 m a.s.l., only 92.55 m away from the Austrian border on Italian territory. After decades of research we know now that Oetzi, 1.58 m tall, lived around 3300 BC and was fatally injured by an arrow when he was about 46 years old.

Oetzi is conserved in a separate chamber boasting a temperature of -6 degrees C and a relative humidity of 98%. A small window enables to catch a glimpse. Here you can learn more about his life, the clothing made of organic materials and his equipment. A decade ago, the exhibition was extended to cover three floors: It includes information about his discovery, the circumstances of his life and research findings as well as stories, questions and curious facts about the mummy. One of the highlights of the exhibition is the three-dimensional image of Oetzi.

The museum in the old town of Bolzano, inaugurated in 1998, is one of the Provincial Museums of South Tyrol, an entity that also comprises other museums such as the South Tyrolean Cultural History Museum at Tyrol Castle. In addition, the archeoParc, an outdoor museum 60 km away in the Val Senales, shows you how Oetzi the Iceman lived. And how to reach the Museum of Archeology? It is located opposite the Municipal Museum at the beginning of the pedestrian area in the town centre. On the other side of the Talvera Bridge, at Piazza Vittoria square, there’s a parking space (subject to charge). Only a few steps from the museum the urban bus lines stop.