INTACT 5300-year-old red blood cells have been extracted from 脰tzi, the 鈥渋ceman鈥� found in the European Alps in 1991. The cells are at least 2000 years older than those from Egyptian mummies, the previous record-holders.
of the Institute for Mummies and the Iceman in Bolzano, Italy, says they look just like modern blood cells. 鈥淭here was no difference, although they were a little more brittle than living cells.鈥�
Previous attempts to extract red blood cells from 脰tzi鈥檚 arteries had failed. This time, Zink struck lucky after sampling two of the iceman鈥檚 wounds ().
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Traces of the blood-clotting protein fibrin came from the wound on his back, caused by the arrow that killed him. The fibrin is evidence that the wound was fresh when the iceman died.
