Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences—Researchers used lasers to reveal highly detailed tattoos on 1,200-year-old mummies from Peru. Mummified human remains from pre-Hispanic South America provide evidence of a long history of tattooing in the region. The ink used in tattoos tends to bleed and fade with age, a process further exacerbated by mummification, rendering the original designs difficult to discern. Michael Pittman and colleagues used laser-stimulated fluorescence to study approximately 1,200-year-old tattoos on mummified individuals belonging to the pre-Columbian Chancay culture in present-day coastal Peru. The authors inspected more than 100 mummified individuals for tattoos. The preserved skin of the mummified individuals fluoresced brightly, in contrast with the black tattoo ink. The resulting high-contrast images virtually eliminated the effects of ink bleed, revealing previously hidden details of the tattoo designs. The complex geometric and zoomorphic patterns were inked with a finely pointed object, possibly a single cactus needle or sharpened animal bone. The authors note that the artistic details and precision of the tattoos exceed that of contemporary Chancay pottery, textiles, and rock art, suggesting that some tattoos were the product of special effort. According to the authors, the findings provide insight into the artistic development and complexity found in pre-Columbian South America.
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1,200-year-old mummified forearm under laser-stimulated fluorescence revealing details of tattoo designs. Michael Pittman and Thomas G Kaye
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1,200-year-old mummified hand featuring tattoos. Michael Pittman and Thomas G Kaye
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Article Source: PNAS news release
*“Hidden artistic complexity of Peru’s Chancay culture discovered in tattoos by laser-stimulated fluorescence,” by Thomas G. Kaye, Judyta Bąk, Henry William Marcelo, and Michael Pittman, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 13-Jan-2025. https://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.2421517122
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