It was a bleak few days for Otzi the iceman. During a routine hunting trip, he and his companion were caught in a territorial skirmish on a high alpine pass. Both were injured and Otzi was soon to die a painful death, lying knife in hand in the shelter of a rock face. Previously, scientists knew that Otzi had been shot by an arrow, but they knew nothing of his companion or the circumstances. The new version of Otzi's death 5300 years ago in the Italian Alps comes from archaeologist Tom Loy, an expert in prehistoric tools and director of the University of Queensland's Institute of Molecular Bioscience in Brisbane. "On the basis of all my examinations, his specialty was hunting the high alpine passes for ibex and possibly chamois which would have taken him into boundary conditions where other people would have disputed the territory," Dr Loy said on Friday.

"His gear was stacked up neatly. He didn't keel over, although he was probably tired, exhausted and hurt like hell," he said. Dr Loy will today present details of his findings at the South Tyrol Archaeology Museum in Bolzano, Italy, at the request of museum director Alex Susanna. Dr Loy based his version of events on samples of blood collected – with the help of UQ doctoral student Tamara Brown – last month at Otzi's home at the Bolzano museum. They took the samples from the iceman's antler-skinning tool, his stone-tipped knife, two of his arrows and his axe handle, as well as from his leather jacket.

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After Otzi had died, his companian would have probably attempted to return home, although his injuries may have prevented this. If he had also perished at Otzi's side, his body would have been preserved aswell, or least some trace of it.

It's very possible that his companian died somewhere else on the mountain, where his body was not preserved, leaving no trace.

You're right Starlyte, the companion doesn't sound to me like he was in very good shape either. I'm guessing he's gonna be found somewhere nearby.