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Clothing and Shoes


CLOTHING

Scientists were surprised not only by the warmth of Otzi's clothing, but also by the quality of its construction. He was wearing three layers of finely stitched clothes: Leather and fur from domestic and wild animals provided most of his wardrobe. The outer layer was a woven grass cape or cloak.
The grass cloak was open in front and may have had slits for his arms. It was braided from long grasses and would have provided a level of water repellence over his fur clothing and gear. Otzi wore the cloak when he died, but at other times it was likely used as a ground cloth or a blanket.
On his head, the iceman wore a tall cap made of individually cut pieces of bear fur. It included leather straps that might have served as a chinstrap. Up from his shoes he was covered with leather legging that fit loosely around his thighs and attached to his belt. This is the first well-preserved evidence of Neolithic clothes for researchers.

SHOES
The quality and utility of Otzi's shoes stunned some scientists. They offered warmth, protection, and even weatherproofing in the high-alpine environment where Otzi died. Wide at the bottom and waterproof, they could have been designed for snow travel. Otzi had evidence of frostbite to only one toe.
Each shoe had a bearskin sole, with deer hide for a t. The shoe frame or netting was made from grass cords that covered the instep and heel. The net held in place grass that was stuffed into the shoes for warmth. A cord-net also covered a loop hanging down from the leggings. Attached to the sole leather were uppers, believed to have been made of fur, that continued up the leg like a boot and was tied around the ankle with grass cords.



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