Scientists used laser-induced luminescence to analyze tattoos on 1,200-year-old mummies of the Chancay culture, which existed in what is now Peru. This method allowed them to discern many fine details of the original images and discovered that some complex geometric and zoomorphic patterns were inscribed on the bodies of the Americans using a very thin, pointed instrument, producing lines just 0.1–0.2 millimeters thick. A paper describing the study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The history of tattooing dates back to ancient times, but it's unclear exactly when people around the world first began using them. The earliest written references to tattoos in Greece date back to at least the 5th century BC (and evidence from China may be even older). However, archaeological evidence suggests that people began applying permanent pigmented designs to their bodies much earlier. It's quite possible that this practice originated at least as early as the Upper Paleolithic, as suggested, for example, by potential tattoo tools.
However, the best evidence that representatives of various ancient cultures tattooed themselves comes from mummies whose skin bears tattoos. Today, it can be confidently concluded that more than five thousand years ago, people were already creating permanent tattoos on their bodies by injuring the skin and introducing pigment into the dermis. The most famous example of this is the ice mummy Ötzi, whose body bears 61 tattoos (read more about him in the article "From the Abyss in Ice"). Furthermore, tattoos of comparable age were discovered several years ago on two mummies from the predynastic period in Egypt; unlike Ötzi, these individuals bear figurative images.
Thomas Kaye of the Arizona-based Foundation for Science Advancement, along with colleagues from the UK, China, Peru, and Poland, focused on tattoos preserved on much younger mummies of the Chancay culture, which emerged on the central coast of Peru around 800–900 CE and disappeared around 1475–1533. In their study, they analyzed remains discovered in 1981 during salvage excavations near the Peruvian city of Huacho.
Researchers have used laser-stimulated fluorescence (laser-induced fluorescence) for the first time to reconstruct the original tattoo designs on the bodies of 1,200-year-old Chancay mummies, which have faded and blurred over time. According to the scientists, this method can sometimes reveal fine details of the original tattoo, as it uses differences in fluorescence to determine where the original design's contours are located on the skin and where the pigment has migrated over time.
In total, they analyzed over a hundred tattoo samples, which in many cases helped them better understand the details of the designs. However, the most intriguing observation was that on some mummified bodies, the scientists were able to capture very fine details. These details consisted of lines measuring 0.1–0.2 millimeters in thickness, which is finer than what would be possible with a modern standard 12-gauge tattoo needle (0.35 millimeters).
Such extremely fine lines were present on a small number of bodies—it's quite possible that only a select group of people could afford such intricate tattoos. Using extremely fine detail, ancient artists created intricate geometric and zoomorphic designs that required a high level of professionalism. Scientists have hypothesized that the inhabitants of central Peru used either cactus spines or sharpened animal bones as tools to create such designs. According to the authors of the new article, the exceptionally fine detail and patterns found in some tattoos represent the most complex art form identified in the Chancay culture.
N+1 previously reported on how a New Zealander used various tools and techniques to create Ötzi tattoos on his body. Subsequent research into these images has revealed that the ancient European's tattoos were likely created using the handpoke technique.
