KENNETH GARRETT/GETTY IMAGESTHE COPPER AGE
The period when Ötzi lived is now known by historians as the Copper
Age, which lasted through the fourth and third millennia B.C. Total
dependence on stone tools was ending. Although the techniques to
make bronze would not be widespread until the end of this period,
farmers were transitioning to more sophisticated metalworking and
making copper implements for the first time. Ötzi owned a pure copper
ax, a very valuable tool for its time. The period saw refinement in
ceramic-making techniques, and increased agricultural productivity
thanks to the plow.
A PENDANT WITH A CARVED MARBLE BALL WORN BY
ÖTZI. IT MAY HAVE HAD A SYMBOLIC SIGNIFICANCE.NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC HISTORY 29