Recent advances in laser scanning technology have provided archaeologists with an extraordinary glimpse into the intricate world of ancient tattooing practices, revealing exceptional and previously unseen tattoos on mummies from the Chancay culture of Peru. These tattoos, which date back over 1,200 years, were likely created using primitive tools such as cactus needles or sharpened animal bones, according to new research. But while the techniques they used may sound unsophisticated, the designs the ancient tattoo artists produced were exceptional in their attention to detail.
This was the exciting discovery of an international team of researchers, led by Michael Pittman from the Institute of Archaeology at University College London, who became the first scientists to use a technique known as laser-stimulated fluorescence (LSF) to study tattoo art from long-past eras.
The Chancay, an ancient culture that flourished along the coast of Peru between 900 and 1533 AD, were known for their impressive textile work and elaborate art work. Their genius in this area extended to their tattoo work, as the new study has revealed.
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“Tattoos were a prevalent art form in pre-Hispanic South America exemplified by mummified human remains with preserved skin decoration that reflects the personal and cultural representations of their times,” the study authors noted in a new article about their work published in PNAS. “Tattoos are known to fade and bleed over time and this is compounded in mummies by the decay of the body, inhibiting the ability to examine the original art. [However] Laser-stimulated fluorescence (LSF) produces images based on fluorescence emitted from within the target.”
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The Chancay Culture’s Amazing Artistic Skills on Display – On Their Mummies
The art of tattoing has ancient roots, extending as far back as 5,000 years in the past. It was widely practiced all across Asia, Europe and the Americas in the distant past, and today’s proliferation of tattoos with all types of literal and symbolic meaning is simply a modern version of an activity that has been around since the beginning of civilization.
Tattoos from the pre-Columbian Chancay culture of coastal Peru. B,E,G and I are laser-scanned images. (Pittman, et.al./PNAS).
While archaeologists and anthropologists have long known that tattoos first appeared in antiquity, actually examining tattoos on the mummified remains of ancient humans has proven a tall task—until now.
Despite the immense passage of time and the fading of ink due to natural aging processes, Pittman and his colleagues were able to laser scanning techniques to uncover the hidden designs etched into the skin of several mummified Chancay corpses, recovered from different time periods in Chancay history.
Laser-stimulated fluorescence (LSF), an innovative technique that has had a notable impact in multiple archaeological studies, was chosen for this study the mummies because of its advanced image-enhancement properties. The lasers enabled scientists to contrast the skin's natural texture with the now-distorted ink patterns, causing the skin to glow brightly and bringing previously unseen details of the tattoos into sharp focus. This breakthrough method effectively mitigated the challenges of ink deterioration, allowing researchers to analyze the finer elements of these ancient works of art.
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Among the tattoos discovered were geometric patterns, including triangles and diamonds, as well as animal motifs of various kinds, all of which were delicately inked into the skin of the mummified individuals.
Interestingly, tattoos were not widespread across all Chancay mummies, suggesting that tattooing may have been a practice reserved for a select group within their society. However, further analysis of additional mummies will be needed before any definitive conclusions can be reached with respect to this issue.
The researchers believe that the level of precision and artistry involved in creating these tattoos surpasses even the exceptional skill seen in other forms of Chancay artwork, such as is displayed in the culture’s pottery and textiles. The meticulous nature of the tattoo designs points to a highly refined level of artistic development, which “reveals higher levels of artistic complexity in pre-Columbian Peru than previously appreciated, which expands the degree of artistic development found in South America at this time,” the study authors wrote.
According to the research team, their study suggests that the tattoos were not merely ornamental, but likely held cultural, social, and even ritualistic significance. The deliberate effort required to create such detailed designs likely indicated their importance within the community, in a culture with a complex spiritual and metaphysical tradition.
Chancay pottery jug decorated with human features, from 1000-1450 AD. (AIna Marie Winther Åshaug /CC BY-SA 2.5).
The cultural and artistic practices of the Chancay people were infused with deep religious meaning, and their tattooing activities undoubtedly reflected this orientation in some way. Each dot of ink had to be carefully placed to form intricate shapes and images, which suggests the results would have had profound meaning for those who displayed them, and those who saw them.
A First-Ever, Up-Close Look at Ancient Body Art
While the tattoos appear to have been a rare and significant practice among the Chancay, the implications of this discovery extend far beyond the shores of ancient coastal Peru. Scientists hope that this advanced laser-based methodology will allow for more detailed analysis of tattoos found on mummies from other ancient cultures as well. By examining tattoos from different regions and time periods, researchers believe they can uncover key milestones in the development of tattooing as an art form, finding out more about how body modification practices evolved over time.
In this initial effort, laser scanning technology has proved to be an extraordinarily useful tool for archaeologists, allowing them to examine ancient tattoos with unprecedented clarity. The discovery of these hidden designs not only enhances our understanding of the Chancay culture, but it also opens up new avenues for exploring the artistic and social practices of ancient civilizations across the globe. Body art is art, and no picture of the culture of an ancient people is going to be complete unless their practices in this area can be revealed and interpreted.
Top image: (A) Drawing of a human ceramic figure depicted with body art similar to mummified remains. (B) Example of textile art. (C) Location of modern Chancay along the coast of Peru.
Source: Arturo Ruiz Estrada Archaeological Museum Collection/PNAS.
By Nathan Falde
