Link—Iceman Photoscan

I don't live in Italy.  This is upsetting to me for many reasons—their accents are way cooler for one—but it also prevents me from getting to traipse up to the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology whenever I want to take a gander at Ötzi the Iceman.  And I can barely afford a plane ticket to go across the country let alone across the ocean, so I probably won't be going there any time soon.  But losers like me are in luck!  There is a website that allows you to get up close and personal (perhaps a little too personal for some parts) with the mummified body of the Iceman: http://www.icemanphotoscan.eu/.

This site allows you to zoom in and see every inch of him up close (if you've been dying to know what his toes look like when your face is shoved into them, this is your chance).  It also has an option to view his tattoos under UV light as well as a 3D viewing of the mummy, but since I don't have 3D glasses I wasn't able to test that out.  The best part is that it's free!  Here's part of the intro page explaining the project: 

This project represents a significant scientific contribution to the study and dissemination of knowledge on the oldest wet and natural mummy in the world. The current preservation conditions of the mummy prevent the wider public from getting close to it. This project, however, will allow an in-depth virtual contact without compromising the sensitive preservation conditions. The objective is to provide an opportunity for the public to discover and study a cultural heritage, unique in the world. In order to ensure the greatest possible access a modern website, which does not require any type of installation or subscription fee, has been set up.

Now, this site has been up for a few years so it's not exactly news.  However, it's a new find to me and I'm excited!  I think this is a brilliant idea and I'm so glad that they're sharing this with the world.  Play around with it, it's fascinating!

The Basics: Mummification—Not just for Egyptian kings

Let’s start with the basics: what is a mummy?  Most people associate the word only with the intentionally preserved bodies found in Egyptian tombs, but there’s a lot more to it.