March 29, 2024
In 1991, the mummified remains of “Otzi the Iceman” were discovered in the Italian Alps. The 45 year old male died 5,300 years ago, as the result of violence he suffered just days before his death. He had a myriad of chronic health issues, including a terrible case of parasitic whipworms - which are still preserved in his mummified intestines. It was an arrowhead, though, embedded in his shoulder and the massive bleeding that it caused that likely led to his ultimate demise. Found among Otzi’s possessions were two mushrooms, both of which still grow in abundance throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere.
The “tinder fungus” has shown some recent promise as an environmentally friendly alternative to certain types of plastic. It has a cellular structure of surprising strength which belies its ultra-light weight. It can be easily grown on a massive scale and hopefully someday might provide a thoughtful, biodegradable, alternative to plastic - the scourge of modern humanity. As promising as that is, that was probably not why Otzi was carrying it. As its name suggests, the tinder fungus has been used for thousands of years as a source of tinder for starting fires. It seems highly likely, in fact, that most Neolithic travelers, like Otzi, would have carried a piece of tinder fungus with them, wherever they went.
Otzi was also carrying a “birch polypore” mushroom which has been used for thousands of years in traditional medicine. Several recent studies funded by the US National Institute of Health have shown that the fungi has anti-bacterial, anti-parasitic, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, neuroprotective, and immunomodulating characteristics. Other studies have shown that bandages made from the fruiting body had antiseptic, anti-bleeding properties and an analgesic effect.
In the three decades since Otzi’s body was retrieved from the melting glacier, “modern science” has proven that the birch polypore was indeed the medicine he needed. It couldn’t save him from whatever violence he encountered, but it probably would have cured him of the whipworms. Neatly tucked away among Otzi’s meticulously studied possessions lies the certainty that he had access to a knowledge base that we are only now just beginning to understand - again.
Recent developments in mushrooms as anti-cancer therapeutics: a review - PMC (nih.gov)