Evolution or Creation?
The
Ice Man
The well preserved
body of the "Otzi the Ice Man," discovered in September 1991 at 10,500
feet in the Ötztaler Alps, is one of the earliest humans. Radio carbon
testing at the University of Innsbruck revealed his remains to be 5,000 - 5,300
years old. His clothing, equipment, and hunting gear were far more sophisticated
than was expected for a man that old. His clothing was well prepared to keep
him warm at 10,500 feet altitude. He carried a very sophisticated, almost pure
copper ax. Further evidence showed that it was possible that he smelted the
copper and fabricated the ax himself. This proved that currently accepted views
of cultural evolution were off about 1,500 years.[38]
Otzi's society had a high level of technology. He carried a framed backpack, a copper axe, dried fruit and other foods, and a fire-making kit that included flint and ores for making sparks. His longbow was made of yew- the best wood for such a purpose because of its great tensile strength. (Yew longbows gave the English army a crucial advantage at the battle of Agincourt in 1415 – thousands of years after Otzi's society had discovered their power.) Otzi was also carrying his own first aid kit in the form of plants with powerful pharmaceutical properties. His last meal included goat meat and bread cooked in a charcoal oven. Said one commentator: "Clearly Stone Age Europeans were sophisticated individuals who exploited local resources and led lives that were far from brutish or short." - Scientific American, May 2003, pp. 60-69. The Observer, 4 May 2003, p. 7.[13]
He had a number of tattoos (It was thought that this art began only in ancient Egypt 4,000 years ago.) located on or near typical acupuncture points for treating back and leg pain. He suffered from osteoarthritis, a condition that may have responded to acupuncture. (Acupuncture was believed to have originated in China only 2,000-3,000 years ago).[38]
Tests to see how old he was when he died gave a wide range of conflicting results - cat scans and x-rays showed that his carotid artery was partially closed, typical of someone 60 to 70 years old, but chemical analysis of his bones indicated he was possibly in his late 40s. Despite the fact that the wear of his teeth indicated his age should have been between 35-40, he still had his wisdom teeth and at the time of his death and they had not broken through his gums. All this implied that ancient humans did not mature at same rate as we mature today; indications were that, in his environment, he would be just a teenager or in his mid-twenties.[38]
The conclusion was that growth rates and life spans were markedly different from ours today. Longer life spans for early humans are supported by the Bible as well as secular works. Chinese and Egyptian authors spoke of kings living to be almost 1,000 years old. Noah lived 950 years; his son Shem lived 600 years. Abraham (a contemporary of the Ice Man) lived 175 years. Later writings of Greeks and Romans suggest life spans of 800 to 1000 years. This evidence is contrary to the theories of human evolution.[38]