Study looks at what Otzi the Iceman was wearing when he died

Otzi, who are you wearing?

When Otzi the Iceman was discovered in 1991, his 5,300-year-old body had been remarkably well preserved by his glacial tomb. And while they weren’t exactly runway ready, his clothes held up pretty nicely as well.

The garments were clearly made of animal skins and furs, but scientists had no way of knowing what species the scrappy ensemble had come from.

DNA sequencing has come a long way since then, and now we’ve finally gotten a peek into Copper Age wardrobe choices.

According to a study published Thursday in Nature Reports, Otzi was wearing at least five different animals when he met his maker.

For now, the team has analyzed the mitochondrial DNA in his leggings (goat), loincloth (sheep), shoelace (cow leather), hat (brown bear), coat (sheep and goat) and quiver (roe deer).

That’s quite the menagerie.

In fact, Otzi’s coat alone contained the hides of four different individual animals, suggesting that individuals might have patched up their clothing with random pelts as needed.

But the researchers don’t think the Iceman got dressed in the dark.

“It’s not chaotic,” study author Frank Maixner of the Institute for Mummies and the Iceman told Smithsonian Magazine.

For example, cow leather, which was found in Otzi’s shoes, was the sturdiest material on his body — suggesting his boots were made for walking. Sheep leather, which made up parts of his striped coat, would have kept him warmer than other materials. And his leggings are made of the same material as some other Copper Age legwear found nearby, suggesting that goatskin was chosen for a reason.

“It’s really ordered, there’s a structure, there’s a fashion, in my eyes,” Maixner said.