Otzi's tools
Late in 1992, Dr Loy received a letter from Germany asking him to examine six anonymous Stone Age tools.
He wasn't told their provenance, but immediately suspected they belonged to the 5,300 year-old body of the Ice Man, Otzi, found high in the Tyrolean Alps in 1991.
Otzi's frozen body is by far the oldest known to science and one of the most important prehistoric finds in generations.
Dr Loy became an integral part of the team examining not just the tools and weapons, but also the Ice Man himself, because of his international reputation as a pioneer of molecular archaeology and ancient DNA.
The UQ courses he conducts in this field are so highly regarded that the university will play host this July to the seventh Ancient DNA and Associated Biomolecules International Conference.
Last reviewed 19 January 2006