PARIS: Yeast has been growing in the guts of a frozen mummy called Oetzi the Iceman for thousands of years, scientists have discovered, telling this news agency they used it to make a tasty sourdough bread.

More than 5,300 years ago — before the Egyptian pyramids were built — Oezti was strolling through the Alps on the border of Austria and Italy when he was killed by an arrow in the back.

He remained frozen in the ice until two German hikers stumbled across his mummified remains in 1991 in the northern Italian region of South Tyrol.

Since then, his stunningly well-preserved remains have been kept at the same temperature — minus six degrees Celsius — as his icy tomb.

This has allowed scientists to carefully study Oetzi, who offers an incredibly rare window into ancient human life. For the latest research, published in the Microbiome journal on Wednesday, an Italy-based team found evidence that both ancient and modern microbial life remain active in the frozen body.

The scientists discovered four different yeasts that can survive sub-zero temperatures in Oetzi’s guts, skin and “brownish” water that melted off his body when he was partially unfrozen. These kinds of yeast only live in very cold conditions, so are believed to have entered Oetzi’s body at some point after he died.

Genetic analysis revealed “DNA damage levels very comparable to the original microbes” in the Iceman’s guts, suggesting the yeast entered his body soon after death.

“These yeasts have accompanied Oetzi on his long journey through the millennia,” study co-author Frank Maixner said in a statement.

Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2026