In memory of of Harm Paulsen, Ötzi’s Tool Expert
The South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology bids a grateful farewell to experimental archaeologist and archeotechnician Harm Paulsen, who passed away in August 2026. For many years, he was a valued guest and speaker at the museum.
Especially during the first years following the discovery of Ötzi, Paulsen contributed significantly to our understanding of Ötzi’s equipment with his extensive experience in reconstructing and testing prehistoric tools. He reconstructed nearly all of the Iceman’s tools, and by doing so provided the museum with valuable insights into their manufacture and use.
Today his legacy lives on in the museum’s publications and the exhibition’s videos. His attempt to fell a yew tree with a trunk diameter of 15 centimeters using a replica of Ötzi’s axe remains unforgettable. With a special permit from the forestry authorities, he succeeded in his attempt in just 40 minutes. In doing this, Paulsen demonstrated that an axe blade like Ötzi’s was a highly effective tool even without tempering. Its potential use was therefore by no means limited to ritual purposes: it could even be used to work hard yew wood – the same material used for Ötzi’s bow.
His attempts to shoot a faithful reproduction of the Iceman’s bow and arrows are legendary. He fired shots at animals that were already dead with the aim of testing the effectiveness of Ötzi’s hunting equipment. As a multiple-time champion in prehistoric longbow archery competitions, Paulsen also helped investigate possible scenarios surrounding the Iceman’s murder and narrow down the distance from which the fatal arrow might have been shot.
Harm Paulsen also enriched special event days and several editions of our open-air archaeology festival “Back to the Stone Age” on the Talferwiesen Meadows in Bolzano. With his expertise in archaeological technology and his seemingly endless array of prehistoric reconstructions of daggers, arrows, and axes from the Copper Age, he captivated children and adults alike.
We fondly remember the events with Harm Paulsen and will cherish his memory.
