Epilogue

Examination over the years, over 25 years now of Ötzi, the Iceman's body, his clothing and implements of survival, have determined that he was a very resourceful individual. Able to climb, perhaps, to an altitude much higher than he was found in a glacier that was moving. Clothed in a way that kept him warm and protected from the wind and glaring sun at very high altitudes.

More remarkable, was the contents of his stomach. He had eaten a full meal consisting of grains from some kind of bread, greens, two kinds of meat--one was Ibex. Indicating that even with his very primitive bow and arrows, he was an accomplished hunter of wild meat, but also benefited from cooking or baking. But his stomach contained worms, showing that he was miserable and even had a pouch of natural medicines, one that was known to treat worms.

Ötzi also had arthritis and other ailments throughout his body. Something to be expected from someone leading a hard, active life. Like other mummified individuals found in other places around the globe, he had tattoos that seem to have been inflicted to ward off pain. Perhaps fighting pain with pain. Researchers found it a surprise that he lived as long as he did, between 39 to 49 years.

The most shocking was the very late discovery of the arrow in Ötzi's back , indicating he was being pursued and shot by an arrow from an adversary following him from below. Probably fleeing to a very high altitude to escape his pursuer(s). It is with this information that I tried to depict Tor as accurately and as true to life to those times as I could.

I had to assume that clans grew from families. Large families survived better than small families, and eventually, became clans. They had to be nomadic, because they would easily consume all of the resources within walking distance of their camps in time, so would have to move on like most Native Americans did. The Plains Indians with the horse from the Spaniards migrated quite often. Farming like the Chaco Canyon people and Mayans did, enabled them to stay much longer in one place. Enabling them to build edifices to their existence. Remaining long after they perished or left for lack of resources or water.

Superstitions enabled clansman to honor most of their food sources and not deplete them, from experience. Although legends with examples of matriarchal rule and control exist, most clans were likely to have been controlled by men. Either by force, or by skills, the strongest would become the leader. Older leaders or those that survived to be older, were valued for their skills and knowledge that needed to be passed on to each generation or the clan would die.

Probably one of the greatest dangers to clans that were isolated and didn't trade or associate with other clans was incest and subsequent inbreeding, bringing about mutations that were unable to survive for various reasons. Offspring with mutations may have been ostracized or even killed as bad omens. Or, cast out and alone, unable to survive on their own.

There is no evidence that Ötzi survived alone. His copper edged axe suggested that he traded for it because copper smelting was not known to be in that region where he was found. And the meal that he had seemed to suggest that he had it with others.

But, while we humans are social creatures and love to have loving families and friends around to be with us, we are subject to jealousy, need for space and territory, and find ourselves in conflict, even to the death.

Quite often, rather than take the more difficult path of trying to get along, end up killing an adversary. There is much evidence of brutal fighting among the few ancient bones like Ötzi that have been found. He is a good example, most likely dying from that severe arrow wound that probably bled out his body. Blood in his capillaries, when frozen, would expand and destroy the flesh surrounding it. Probably the reason his body was preserved so well was because first his body froze and then was covered over with snow that later became ice.

It is highly likely that various clans became prosperous for various resources reasons, and then, they either gradually or tragically, died out either from disease, natural disasters, inbreeding or other dangers like wild predators that they were constantly having to fight or protect themselves from. Human predators were the worst.

Tor was the last of his clan. Even when he discovered at a young age that he no longer wanted to follow his clan's practice of raiding other clans, his inability to have children made all of his good deeds of no avail. But the knowledge he passed on to others enabling them to brave the danger of traveling and trading with other clans like he did was probably passed down for a few years. Making him legendary.

There will be no sequel to this book. It is my last in the series.

Finis