Mysteries in Ancient History
A Sixth Grade Social Studies Simulation
On a trip to Italy, you and your friends decide to take a few days to hike in the Alps. You have a map to guide you through parts of the Otzal Alps. You are hoping to see the remains of a glacier that has been melting during the past 70 years. You dress warmly, pack your backpack with snacks, and head out for the summit.
After hiking along the trail that many others had traveled that day, you and your friends decide to go another way, just for the sake of exploration. As you walk along, you see something protruding from the ice. At first, you think it is a doll that someone left behind. It doesn't have any hair. You walk closer and see that it is not a doll at all, but a human body. You've just completed your first year of medical school, so you know a dead body when you see one up close. But instead of having waxy skin like most corpses, the body looks yellow an feels leathery, almost like a mummy. It does not have any clothes on, either. It's obvious to your friends that he froze to death. You wonder how long this person has been here. Maybe he was a hiker who lost his way just recently? You take a closer look and see a hole in the back of this person's head. An eerie feeling settles over you as you wonder if the many could have been murdered. You and your friends try to dig him out from the ice with your ski poles.
One of your friends finds a large stick in the ice and begins to dig with it. Then you discover an axe in the ice. Your other degree, in archaeology, tells you that this is no ordinary axe: it is made from some sort of metal. You and your friends believe that the axe might be the key to finding out when this person lived. Suddenly, you see what looks to be a tiny dagger made from flint with a wooden handle. There's also something that looks to be like a fanny pack with a few items still inside! You take out your digital camera and take pictures of these items for later reference. Just in time, too! The authorities have arrived to take all this away to the medical laboratory for tests. You decide to give this person a name. You and your friends agree that he should be named Otzi, in honor of the mountain where he was found. You wonder, as they take away his body, how did this man die? It is a question that will haunt you for months -- and you must find out.
After hiking along the trail that many others had traveled that day, you and your friends decide to go another way, just for the sake of exploration. As you walk along, you see something protruding from the ice. At first, you think it is a doll that someone left behind. It doesn't have any hair. You walk closer and see that it is not a doll at all, but a human body. You've just completed your first year of medical school, so you know a dead body when you see one up close. But instead of having waxy skin like most corpses, the body looks yellow an feels leathery, almost like a mummy. It does not have any clothes on, either. It's obvious to your friends that he froze to death. You wonder how long this person has been here. Maybe he was a hiker who lost his way just recently? You take a closer look and see a hole in the back of this person's head. An eerie feeling settles over you as you wonder if the many could have been murdered. You and your friends try to dig him out from the ice with your ski poles.
One of your friends finds a large stick in the ice and begins to dig with it. Then you discover an axe in the ice. Your other degree, in archaeology, tells you that this is no ordinary axe: it is made from some sort of metal. You and your friends believe that the axe might be the key to finding out when this person lived. Suddenly, you see what looks to be a tiny dagger made from flint with a wooden handle. There's also something that looks to be like a fanny pack with a few items still inside! You take out your digital camera and take pictures of these items for later reference. Just in time, too! The authorities have arrived to take all this away to the medical laboratory for tests. You decide to give this person a name. You and your friends agree that he should be named Otzi, in honor of the mountain where he was found. You wonder, as they take away his body, how did this man die? It is a question that will haunt you for months -- and you must find out.