Scientific investigations of the only well-preserved ancient human body ever recovered from a North American glacier have been carried out by 13 leading experts in the field of biology and anthropology, co-ordinated by Professor James Dickson at the Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences and Hunterian Museum at the University of Glasgow.

Numerous remains of plants and animals have been found associated with Kwäday Dän Ts'ìnchí (Long Ago Person Found), whose remains were found high in the mountains of the northwest British Columbia, Canada, about 80k from the nearest point of the strongly indented coast of southern Alaska. The geographical location suggests that the young man, aged about 20 years, could have lived either on the mild coast or in the continental interior.

The man may have lived as much as 550-660 years ago, based upon 14C testing of artifacts and clothing discovered with the young man's body. DNA results by Dr. M. V. Monsalve of the University of British Columbia show that he was an aboriginal.

"Thorough intestinal and biomolecular analysis has been carried out on the corpse," explains Professor James Dickson. "Chemical analyses of his bones, by Dr Michael Richards at the University of Bradford, revealed that his lifelong diet was sea food, suggesting he was a coastal inhabitant. However, examination of his hair reveals that during the last few months of his life he had not eaten marine food, suggesting a move inland."

At the time of his death he had been carrying and just eaten sea food, as shown by his stomach contents, examined microscopically by Professor Dickson, Dr Richard J Hebda of the Royal British Columbia Museum and Dr Petra J Mudie of the Geological Survey of Canada Atlantic.

The young man's robe, made from ground squirrel, an animal found in the interior, held the remains of two plants confined to the coastal zone. This suggests that his last journey was from the coast to the interior or from one part of the coast to another, not from the interior to the coast.

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The Holocene, released on Wednesday 23 June 2004, explains in detail the findings. Authors: James H Dickson, Susan Ramsay (University of Glasgow), Michael P Richards (University of Bradford, and Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Germany), Richard J. Hebda (Royal British Columbia Museum), Petra J. Mudie (Geological Survey of Canada Atlantic, Nova Scotia), Owen Beattie (University of Alberta), Nancy J. Turner, Rebecca J. Wigen (University of Victoria), Bruce J Leighton, John M. Webster, Niki R. Hobischak, Gail S. Anderson (Simon Fraser University) and Peter M. Troffe (InStream Fisheries Research, Vancouver).

First published: 22 June 2004