Lasers reveal hidden patterns on tattoos of 1200-year-old mummies in Peru

In a new study, experts used lasers to reveal hidden patterns in the tattoos of 1,200-year-old mummies in Peru. The preserved skin on the remains and the ink show a sharp contrast, i.e., they reveal small details in the tattoos that are not visible to the naked eye.

Scientists have studied about 100 mummies from the coastal Chancay culture of Peru, a civilization that flourished before the Inca Empire and the arrival of Europeans. All of these people had some kind of tattoos on their palms, knuckles, forearms, or other parts of the body, AP reports.

The study focused on four individuals with "exceptional tattoos" – drawings of geometric shapes such as triangles and rhombuses, said Michael Pittman, an archaeologist at the University of Hong Kong and co-author of the study.

Experts do not understand how the Peruvians created their tattoos. "They are of such a level of quality that they stand up to a high-quality modern electric tattoo," commented Aaron Detter-Wolf, an expert on pre-Columbian tattoos and an archaeologist from the Tennessee Department of Archaeology who was not involved in the research.

By using lasers that make the skin glow slightly, "we're basically turning the skin into a light bulb," said Tom Kay, a co-author of the study and a specialist at the nonprofit American Foundation for Scientific Progress in Sierra Vista.

The findings have helped to inform new nondestructive technologies that can help experts study and document sensitive archaeological materials such as mummies, added Deter-Wolf.

According to historical data, the oldest known tattoos were found on the remains of a Neolithic man who lived in the Italian Alps about 3000 years BC. Many mummies from Ancient Egypt also have tattoos, as do the remains of cultures around the world.

Experts emphasize that tattoos were used for various purposes – to mark cultural or individual identity, life events, or social status.

"Also to prevent disease or to help strengthen relationships with spirits or deities," said Lars Krutak, an archaeologist from the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico, who did not participate in the study.

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