Ancient artistry: Uncovering Chancay tattoos with modern tech
A new method of imaging tattoos has uncovered designs executed with extraordinary care on mummies from the Chancay culture in Peru. It turns out that the ancient inhabitants used materials finer than contemporary tattooing needles.
Research using laser-stimulated fluorescence (LSF) has revealed detailed tattoos on mummies from the Chancay culture in Peru, which are around 1,200 years old. The scientists recently published their findings in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The technique enables the visualisation of 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 the studied surface to fluoresce. In the case of tattoos, LSF highlights the contrast between ink and skin, effectively eliminating the problem of patterns blurring over time.
Research indicates that Chancay artists probably used tools finer than contemporary tattoo needles. The discovered tattoos contain lines only about 0.1 to 0.2 millimetres wide, compared to a standard no. 12 tattoo needle, which is around 0.35 millimetres wide. 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 fine tools would allow for the level of detail and precision 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 suggest that tattoos are personal and cultural reflections of ancient times.
Tattoos provide valuable information about the social organisation 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. It is evidence that this culture was more artistically complex than previously thought.
