Even the most mundane items can tell us an enormous amount about the lives of the people who owned and used them. Think about what the typical wallet made to hold money, credit and ATM cards, a driver’s license, and a family photo suggests about our own culture. The wallet’s owner may make numerous purchases each day that are so important to his or her society that they are facilitated by a sophisticated global electronic money transfer system. Because many of his or her social interactions are with strangers, the wallet’s owner needs to carry proof of his or her identity at all times. He or she might own a car and use it frequently for transportation because work, home, friends, and markets are often at some distance from each other. Finally, because home and work are often in separate and distant locations, the wallet’s owner may carry photos of his or her loved ones to maintain a sense of connection during the hours they are apart.

A similar analysis can be made of the items found with the Iceman discovered in the Italian Alps in 1991 and estimated by scientists to have died 5,300 years ago. While it is true that the absence of written documents places historians of the Neolithic period at a disadvantage, objects and artifacts offer important clues about Neolithic society and culture. In this exercise, you’ll use the evidence found with the Iceman to help you imagine the society in which he lived. Each object has its own story to tell. Taken together, the objects allow us to construct a plausible vision of the Iceman’s world.