Researchers have unveiled long “hidden” and finely
detailed tattoo designs on the skin of ancient mummies from
Peru, a study reports. Tattoos were a prevalent art form in
pre-Hispanic South America, as attested by the discovery of
mummified human remains in the region with preserved skin
decoration that date back centuries, and even millennia.
While such body art works can provide insights into ancient
cultures, tattoos are known to fade and bleed over time — a
process compounded in mummies by the decay of the body. This
often means that the original designs are difficult to make out.
In the latest study, published in the journal Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences, a team of researchers
used a technique known as laser-stimulated fluorescence (LSF) to
examine tattoos on mummified individuals belonging to the
pre-Hispanic Chancay culture of what is now coastal Peru.
The mummified remains that team of researchers
examined were originally discovered in 1981 at the Cerro
Colorado cemetery archaeological site in the Huaura Valley of
Peru. The LSF technique revealed “exceptionally fine” and
previously unknown details of the ancient tattoos.
The team managed to identify intricate geometric and
zoomorphic (representing animal forms) designs that were “very
surprising” because they demonstrate a higher degree of artistic
complexity than any other existing Chancay artwork, including
on pottery and the culture's renowned textiles. The art of
tattooing was clearly important to the Chancay, as evidenced by
the high proportion of tattooed individuals among known
mummified remains from the ancient culture.
Hidden Tattoos Revealed on 750-Year-Old Ancient Mummies: ‘Very Surprising’.
Internet: <newsweek.com> (adapted).