Final answer:
Ötzi the Iceman was important to scientists as he offered unprecedented insights into prehistoric human clothing, health, and their understanding and treatment of diseases due to his remarkably preserved body.
Step-by-step explanation:
Ötzi the Iceman was a significant discovery to scientists due to the vast information that his well-preserved body could provide about prehistoric human life, including their clothing, health, and treatment of diseases.
Ötzi, found frozen in the Ötzal Alps on the Austrian-Italian border, was clad in goat and sheep hides, legging, bearskin cap, and shoes made from woven grass, tree fibers, and deer hide, revealing the efficiency of clothing in prehistoric times. What's more, his body showed that he had the eggs of the parasite Trichuris trichiura and a bacterium causing Lyme disease, suggesting an understanding of disease and its treatment in prehistoric humans.
The fact that Ötzi had the fruit of Fomitopsis betulinus fungus, known for its laxative and antibiotic properties, and tattoos made by cutting incisions filled with herbs suggest their knowledge about disease remedies, making his discovery pivotal in understanding the medical practices of prehistoric times.
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