The discovery of a perfectly preserved body in Pakistan’s Kohistan region echoes the famous finding of the ancient Iceman in 1991. Melting glaciers in the area are increasingly revealing long-hidden human remains. 

A 31-year-old man named Naseeruddin, missing since June 1997, was found last week in the Supat Valley after nearly three decades frozen in an ice cave.

A Disappearance That Haunted a Family for 28 Years

Naseeruddin vanished while traveling in the mountainous northern region of Pakistan, leaving behind a wife and two children. For years, his family searched tirelessly, braving dangerous glacier terrain.

“Our family left no stone unturned to trace him over the years,” nephew Malik Ubaid told AFP. “Our uncles and cousins visited the glacier several times to see if his body could be retrieved, but they eventually gave up as it wasn’t possible.”

The mystery ended on July 31 when local shepherd Omar Khan discovered the body—remarkably intact, with clothing undamaged and an identity card still present.

“What I saw was unbelievable,” Khan told BBC Urdu. “The body was intact. The clothes were not even torn.”

Glaciers: Nature’s Preservation Chambers

For 28 years, Naseeruddin’s body lay mummified in glacial ice, protected from moisture and oxygen. Pakistan’s 7,000 glaciers—the largest concentration outside the polar regions—are shrinking due to climate change, which has reduced snowfall and increased direct sunlight exposure.

“This unnatural warming is what eventually exposed Naseeruddin’s body,” Ubaid said. “Finally, we have got some relief after the recovery of his dead body.”

Glaciers serve as time capsules, preserving human remains, wildlife, and artifacts. They also hold vital climate records in trapped air bubbles, which scientists study through ice core analysis.

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Parallels to the Ötzi Iceman Discovery

The case recalls the 1991 discovery of Ötzi the Iceman, a natural mummy from 3350–3105 BC found in the Ötztal Alps on the Austria–Italy border. Ötzi’s preserved organs, clothing, and tools provided an unprecedented glimpse into Neolithic life.

While glaciers can preserve soft tissue, they are not as effective as cryogenic freezing. This explains why Ötzi, and frozen WWI soldiers found in 2017, still showed signs of decomposition and dehydration.

The Future of Glacial Revelations

Naseeruddin’s fate is tragically common among high-altitude explorers. Last year, National Geographic reported the partial recovery of mountaineer Sandy Irvine, missing on Everest since 1924. Cleanup operations on the peak often uncover bodies long hidden beneath the snow and ice.

With glaciers retreating worldwide, more such discoveries—both archaeological treasures and sobering reminders of human loss—are likely in the coming years.