Birch fungus

Ötzi carried two pieces of birch fungus, a fungus that grows on the trunks of old or dying birch trees. This tree fungus has been used as a medicinal product since time immemorial. Mushrooms and toadstools were still being used in the last century for medicinal purposes.

The two pieces of fungus were threaded onto two narrow strips of hide – which is how the Iceman carried his very own first-aid kit with him!

Birch fungus was used as an antibiotic for minor wounds or to cure stomach-ache, which Ötzi sometimes suffered from because he had intestinal parasites.