The Iceman Moveth

Iceman, the 5,000-year-old man found frozen in the Italian Alps, has moved into some chilly new digs.

Officials at the South Tyrol Archaeological Museum in Italy's northern Alto Adige region have built an "igloo" inside the museum out of tiles of ice to keep the Iceman colder and more humid to better preserve his remains.

The Iceman, known as Oetzi, moved in this week, the museum said in a statement.

A group of hikers discovered Oetzi's well-preserved body by accident in 1991. Since then, he and his clothing and tools have opened a window on the previously little known world of copper-age Europe.

Since his remains went on display, the Iceman has lost about five grams (.175 ounces) of water weight every 24 hours, primarily because the humidity in his refrigerated cell fluctuated from the lights and a viewing window.

Experts were able to counteract the loss by exposing him to an artificial humidity treatment every two weeks.

But with the igloo, that treatment will no longer be necessary, the museum said. The new ice cell keeps a constant temperature of minus 6.12 Celsius (20.98F), and humidity of 99.42 percent. Previously, his cell had a humidity level of 97.12 percent, and the temperature fluctuated slightly.

"In this way, the microclimate of the cell is preserved, guaranteeing unvarying conservation conditions," the museum said.

Oetzi now lies on a glass tabletop, one arm draped across his chest, surrounded by walls of ice blocs and a small viewing window.

Since his discovery, Oetzi has provided researchers with a wealth of information about the late Neolithic Age, or 3,300 to 3,100 B.C.

Two years ago, his body was temporarily thawed so that researchers could take samples to study. Researchers initially reported that Oetzi's last meal had included unleavened bread made of einkorn, a type of wheat, as well as some greens.

In September, other researchers expanded on that finding by extracting DNA from the contents of his intestines and found that he had also consumed venison as one of his last meals — strengthening the theory that he was a hunter.

While little else is known about Oetzi himself, he was carrying a bow, a quiver of arrows and a copper ax, leading to speculation that he was a hunter or warrior.

Last year, X-rays revealed that an arrow killed Oetzi, with the flint arrowhead remaining in his left shoulder. That has led to speculation ranging from death in battle to ritual killing.