Birch-bark containers

Ötzi had a cool way of carrying everything he needed: He had two birch-bark containers.

The white bark of the birch tree is easy to peel off from young trees, and it stays supple and resilient even when it’s dried out. It’s also light – an ideal material for the Iceman on his mountain tours.

One of the containers retained the light colour of the birch. Perhaps Ötzi transported food in it. The other container was blackened, probably because he kept embers in it from his last fire.