Laser tech unveils intricate ancient tattoos on Peruvian mummies
A new method of imaging tattoos has uncovered designs executed with extraordinary care on mummies from the Chancay culture in Peru. The ancient inhabitants used materials thinner than the needles used for tattooing.
Research utilizing laser-stimulated fluorescence (LSF) has revealed detailed tattoos on mummies from the Chancay culture in Peru, around 1,200 years old. The group of scientists recently published their findings in the journal The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The technique allows for visualizing the fine lines of tattoos that are not visible using other methods, such as ultraviolet light.
They scanned over 100 mummies with a laser
Scientists examined more than 100 mummified remains from the Chancay culture (circa 900-1533 AD), which are housed at the Archaeological Museum Arturo Ruiz Estrada at the National University José Faustino Sánchez Carrión in the city of Huacho. The new imaging method involves illuminating the object with a laser, causing fluorescence on the studied surface. In the case of tattoos, LSF highlights the contrast between ink and skin, eliminating the problem of patterns blurring over time.
Research indicates that Chancay artists probably used tools thinner than contemporary tattoo needles. The discovered tattoos feature lines that are only 0.004 to 0.008 inches wide. For comparison, a standard no. 12 tattoo needle is 0.014 inches. This suggests that tools with a much smaller diameter were used to create these precise patterns. Scientists suspect that Chancay artists might have used a single cactus needle or a sharpened animal bone, relying on the available materials.
The discovered designs are primarily geometric and also appear on Chancay ceramics and textiles. Geometric motifs dominated, especially triangles, but plant and animal patterns were also found. Such thin tools would have allowed for the level of detail and precision seen in the tattoos uncovered through the laser-stimulated fluorescence (LSF) technique.
"LSF expands the scope of tattoo analysis and the level of detail this can yield, providing a new technique to gain further insights into this important art form," the article's authors assert. They claim that tattoos are personal and cultural reflections of ancient times.
Tattoos provide valuable information about the social organization of the Chancay culture. In many ancient societies, tattoos marked individuals of special status. Further research may help identify different types, classes, or statuses of people within this culture. The discovery of extremely detailed tattoos indicates a high level of artistic skill among the Chancay and suggests that this culture was more artistically complex than previously thought.
