Amazing stuff! When will archaeologist discover the first ancient tattoo parlor? 😊
"... The Pazyryk were horse-riding nomads who roamed the steppes of Eurasia 2500 years ago. Their mummies, most of whom were first excavated in the 1940s, were elaborately tattooed with animal designs. To gain insight into how these ancient tattoo artists practiced their craft, researchers took multiple infrared photos of tattoos on a Pazyryk woman’s arms (seen in purple above) and stitched them together digitally to get high-resolution images. ...
they argue that one design, flowing expertly around the contours of the mummy’s right arm, appears more refined and detailed—including the stripes of two tigers and the spots of a leopard ... —than the others, suggesting it was applied by an experienced tattooer. Her left arm bears a simpler design, suggesting it was done by someone more novice. ..."
From the abstract:
"The tattoos of the Pazyryk ice mummies are of paramount importance for the archaeology of Iron Age Siberia and are often discussed from a broad stylistic and symbolic perspective. However, deeper investigations into this cultural practice were hindered by the inaccessibility of quality data.
Here, the authors use high-resolution, near-infrared data in conjunction with experimental evidence to re-examine the tools and techniques employed in Early Iron Age tattooing. The high-quality data allow for the previously unfeasible distinction of artist hands and enable us to put the individual back into the picture of a widespread but rarely preserved prehistoric practice."
Figure 3. Left forearm tattoo
Figure 4. Right forearm tattoo
Figure 5. Tattoos placed on the hands; the bird, cross, and fish-like ornament are on the left hand, the floral ornament is on the right hand
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