Are You Still Human after You’re Dead?

We don’t refer to people with the pronoun “it.” “It” is strictly for inanimate objects. So what do you think they should use for the pronoun in these sentences?

When the 5,300-year-old mummy of Ötzi the Iceman was found 30 years ago, researchers found 61 tattoos on it. 

That’s the summary of the article in the newsletter The Conversation.

Here’s a sentence in the article:

Ötzi the Iceman remained hidden to the world for millennia until two German tourists discovered it 30 years ago in a glacier in the Italian Alps.

https://theconversation.com/what-otzi-the-prehistoric-iceman-can-teach-us-about-the-use-of-tattoos-in-ceremonial-healing-or-religious-rites-168058

Since this pronoun occurs twice, we have a deliberate choice here, not a goof.

Let’s add to the confusion. this sentence also appears in that article:

Ötzi also sported tattoos on his chest.

So. Would you ever refer to a deceased relative with “it”? What do you think about this editorial decision in the article?

Here’s a picture of his/its statue: