Laser scans reveal secrets of strange tattoos on 1,200-year-old mummies

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Highly detailed tattoos on Peruvian mummies were made with “special effort” around 1,200 years ago, likely using cactus needles or sharpened animal bones, archaeologists say. open image in gallery From left, drawing of a human ceramic figure depicted with body art similar to the mummified remains, example of textile art, location of modern Chancay along the coast of Peru The Chancay, known for their textiles with intricate patterns, “were a small state that could mass produce goods and achieved trade relations with regional cultures, later absorbed by the Inca Empire”, researchers note in a study published in the journal PNAS on Monday. open image in gallery Tattoo “scales” on the forearm of mummified human remains under white light and laser scan exposing additional fine detail in the tattoo artwork Scientists inspected over 100 mummified individuals and found four remains with “exceptional tattoos”, including designs of geometric shapes like triangles and diamonds. Shocked farmer finds ancient human skeleton in cassava field Scientists say some of the tattoos were a product of “special effort”, making them key to better understanding art development in pre-Columbian South America.