In a remarkable new study, researchers have revealed Ötzi the Iceman's last meal before he died. The perfectly preserved 5,300-year-old prehistoric man was uncovered at the Ötztal Alps, frozen on a glacier in the border of Austria and Italy in 1991 by tourists.

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Now, researchers say that Ötzi's last meal was a form of dried or cured meat similar to bacon or prosciutto. This new finding also suggests that ancient Europeans of the Copper Age ate cured meat some 5,000 years ago.

Ötzi the Iceman ate a type of dried meat from a local wild goat before he died. He was killed by an arrow shot.

Researchers at the EURAC Institute for Mummies and the Iceman (European Academy of Bozen/Bolzano) carried out a new study and obtained detailed analysis of the Iceman's stomach contents.

Scientists examined the natural mummy and discovered that the meat from Ötzi's last meal was a goat native to South Tyrol in Italy.

"When we analyzed the meat nanostructure, it appeared that he ate a very fatty type of dried meat, most likely bacon. Despite sounding appetizing, this diet of tough, fatty meat apparently did not agree with Ötzi's stomach," said palaeopathologist Albert Zink of EURAC.

EURAC researchers also found traces of bacteria that cause ulcers known as Helicobacter pylori in the iceman's stomach. This suggests that the Iceman may have been suffering from gastric ulcers or gastritis.

Past analysis of Ötzi's stomach contents revealed grains and red meat in his lower intestines. The meal was probably consumed within the last 30 hours before his death. With the help of genomic analysis and non-invasive diagnostics, the team was able to identify the type of meat and region where the animal lived.

Ötzi the Iceman died when he was 45. He weighed 50 kilograms and was 5.3 inches tall. Scientists say that he was shot in the back with an arrow that was fired from a considerable distance, which severed a major blood vessel in his shoulder blade and rib cage.