<p><strong>Prematurely aged, with leathery, wrinkled skin, deep-set eyes, and a shaggy beard, this new reconstruction of "Ötzi" the Iceman is a far cry from past reconstructions that showed him as a strapping middle-aged man.</strong></p><p>Notably, the new model, developed by Dutch artists Alfons and Adrie Kennis, has brown eyes based on recent research that showed the 5,000-year-old Iceman did not have blue eyes, as previously thought.</p><p>The latest Iceman reconstruction is based on new 3-D scans of Ötzi's body and will be the focus of an exhibition called <a href="http://oetzi20.it/?lang=en">"Ötzi 20,"</a> which will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the naturally mummified body's discovery in the Italian Alps. "Ötzi 20" will run from March 1 to January 15, 2012, at the <a href="http://www.iceman.it/">South Tyrol Museum of Archeology</a> in Bolzano, Italy.</p><p>"The aim of the exhibition is to present a more rounded picture of Ötzi beyond the purely scientific aspect," museum director Angelika Fleckinger said in a statement.</p><p>(See more <a href="http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2007/07/iceman/iceman-photography">pictures of Ötzi the Iceman</a>.)<em></em></p><p><em>—Ker Than</em></p>

Meet the New, Old Ötzi

Prematurely aged, with leathery, wrinkled skin, deep-set eyes, and a shaggy beard, this new reconstruction of "Ötzi" the Iceman is a far cry from past reconstructions that showed him as a strapping middle-aged man.

Notably, the new model, developed by Dutch artists Alfons and Adrie Kennis, has brown eyes based on recent research that showed the 5,000-year-old Iceman did not have blue eyes, as previously thought.

The latest Iceman reconstruction is based on new 3-D scans of Ötzi's body and will be the focus of an exhibition called "Ötzi 20," which will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the naturally mummified body's discovery in the Italian Alps. "Ötzi 20" will run from March 1 to January 15, 2012, at the South Tyrol Museum of Archeology in Bolzano, Italy.

"The aim of the exhibition is to present a more rounded picture of Ötzi beyond the purely scientific aspect," museum director Angelika Fleckinger said in a statement.

(See more pictures of Ötzi the Iceman.)

—Ker Than

Image courtesy Heike Engel/21Lux, Südtiroler Archäologiemuseum, and NG Deutschland

Pictures: Otzi the Iceman's New, Older Face Unveiled

More Gandalf than Aragorn, the new face of "Ötzi," the famous Iceman mummy, is more wizened and weathered than previous reconstuctions.

DON'T MISS THE REST OF THIS STORY!
Create a free account to continue and get unlimited access to hundreds of Nat Geo articles, plus newsletters.

Create your free account to continue reading

No credit card required. Unlimited access to free content.
Or get a Premium Subscription to access the best of Nat Geo - just $19
SUBSCRIBE

Read This Next

'World’s worst shipwreck' was bloodier than we thought
World’s first ultrasounds of wild manta rays reveal a troubling truth
Titanic was found during secret Cold War Navy mission

Go Further

Subscriber Exclusive Content

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet