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The Independent
23-05-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Archaeologists baffled to find strange 800-year-old mummy with face tattoos
Archaeologists have found never-before-seen tattoos on the cheeks and arms of an 800-year-old Andean mummy, shedding more light on ancient cultural practices in South America. Humans have adopted body modification methods throughout history to conform to prevalent beauty standards, social status and group affiliation, and even for ritual reasons. Among such body modifications, tattooing still exists as a widely practised cultural practice. However, there are very few surviving examples of tattooed skin in archaeological records due to the soft nature of skin. An analysis of existing records of preserved skin with evidence of tattoos suggests that South American coastal deserts have the most preserved tattooed human remains in the world. So, scientists closely assessed a well-preserved female mummy held at the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography of the University of Turin that had been excavated from a site in the Andes mountains. Radiocarbon analysis revealed that the mummy was over 800 years old. She lived sometime between 1215 and 1382CE. Researchers used two new infrared analysis techniques to look for any tattoos not visible to the naked eye. They were surprised to find tattoos on both cheeks of the mummy's face, including three straight running lines from the ear to the mouth. They also found a wrist tattoo in the shape of an S. Using chemical analysis techniques like x-ray fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy, they determined the tattoos were made using pigments developed from the iron mineral magnetite and another called pyroxenes. The analysis revealed a surprising absence of charcoal, the most commonly used tattoo material reported in literature. 'The results show both rare shapes and anatomical location – lines on cheeks and S-like mark on wrist – and unusual ink composition,' they wrote in the study. The simple tattoos have proved difficult to interpret and identify with any specific culture, however. South American tattoos are typically more complex drawings on hands, wrists, forearms, and feet. Cheek tattoos are rarer. In fact, no other ancient tattoo found in the region so far is comparable to the 'S' motif on the mummy's arm. Given the location of the tattoos on body parts not usually covered by clothing, researchers suspect they may have had a 'decorative or communicative purpose'. However, they add that 'at the moment, it is not possible to attribute either a sort of medical or therapeutic purpose or a cultural provenance' to them. 'To conclude, the research actively contributes in the study of ancient tattoo practice, in particular in South America about eight centuries ago, and highlights the role of museum collections in the analysis of ancient cultures,' researchers noted.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Rare face tattoos on 800-year-old mystery mummy baffle archaeologists
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. An 800-year-old mummy donated to a museum in Italy a century ago has revealed new clues about ancient face tattoos. But the mummy's origin remains shrouded in mystery. Some time prior to 1930, the mummy of an adult female was donated to the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (MAET) at the University of Turin, with no records of its archaeological context. The mummy recently caught the attention of a team of researchers due to the surprising presence of tattoos on her face. In a study published in the May-June issue of the Journal of Cultural Heritage, the international team of researchers detailed their analysis of the mummy and her tattoos, noting that they were extremely unusual both in their location and in the composition of the ink used to make them. The mummy has straight black hair cropped short and is tightly flexed into a seated position, typical of mummy burials in the Andes. Researchers carbon-dated textile fragments stuck to the body and determined the woman died between A.D. 1215 and 1382. "On the basis of current evidence — particularly preservation, body placement, associated materials and documents — a South American origin is strongly supported," study lead author Gianluigi Mangiapane, an anthropologist at the University of Turin, told Live Science in an email. Related: Lasers reveal hidden patterns in tattoos of 1,200-year-old Peru mummies But while looking closely at the mummy using infrared reflectography, a technique often used to "see through" paint layers of artwork to find older brush strokes, the research team noted a series of unusual tattoos: three lines on the mummy's right cheek, one line on the left cheek and an S-shape on the right wrist. "Skin marks on the face are rare among the groups of the ancient Andean region and even rarer on the cheeks," the researchers wrote in the study, and the S-shaped tattoo "is so far unique for the Andean region." To identify the ink used to make the tattoos, the researchers used a suite of non-destructive techniques. Although they expected to find evidence of charcoal in the ink, they instead discovered that the unusual ink was made with magnetite, an iron oxide mineral, with traces of the mineral augite. In South America, augite and magnetite can be found together in southern Peru, suggesting a potential homeland for the mummified woman. "There are a small number of ethnographic accounts from the Americas that describe the use of mineral or earth pigments such as hematite or magnetite for tattooing, and the new study fits quite nicely with those," Aaron Deter-Wolf, an archaeologist at the Tennessee Division of Archaeology who was not involved in the study, told Live Science by email. But Deter-Wolf, who is an expert in ancient tattooing, is not convinced that the mystery mummy hails from the Andes. RELATED STORIES —People 'finger painted' the skulls of their ancestors red in the Andes a millennium ago —1,000-year-old mummy in fetal position found in underground tomb in Peru —'Pregnant' ancient Egyptian mummy with 'cancer' actually wasn't pregnant and didn't have cancer, new study finds "Stylistically, these particular face markings have far more in common with historic Arctic or Amazonian traditions than with Andean practices," Deter-Wolf said. "It would be fascinating to see what oxygen isotopes or other studies might be able to tell us about the origins of this individual." At this stage, though, isotope analyses have not been carried out. "Since these types of analyses are invasive, we have currently decided to limit such procedures in order to preserve the integrity of the remains," Mangiapane said. But the MAET that houses the mummy is interested in further investigation, Mangiapane said, and this may include future cultural comparisons to better understand the nature of the mysterious mummy's facial tattoos.
The Sun
22-05-2025
- Science
- The Sun
Mysterious mummy with face tattoos STILL visible after 800yrs found & scientists are baffled by the ink that was used
LONG lost tattoos have been discovered on the face of an 800-year-old South American woman whose remains were donated to an Italian museum nearly a century ago. While humans have been inking ourselves for millennia, according to researchers, the tattoos on this mysterious mummy are unique in several ways. 3 3 A team of anthropologists and archeologists, led by Gianluigi Mangiapane from the University of Turin in Italy, found unique tattoo designs on the mummy, which had been unusually well preserved. The mummification process has darkened her skin, making the tattoos harder to see. But with an array of imaging techniques, researchers have been able to get a better picture of the unique designs. A minimalist but uncommon three-line design has been found on her cheeks - with the design on the right cheek being better preserved than the one on the right. Cheek tattoos are rarely discovered - or are easily missed - "due to difficulties in finding preserved skin," according to researchers. "The three detected lines of tattooing are relatively unique: in general, skin marks on the face are rare among the groups of the ancient Andean region and even rarer on the cheeks," they wrote in their study, published in Journal of Cultural Heritage. An S-shaped tattoo has also been found on one of her wrists - a common placement for tattoos among South American cultures the time. The ink that was used is also pretty unique - consisting of magnetite, a black, metallic, and magnetic iron ore, instead of the usual charcoal. The mummy may therefore present "possibly [the] first evidence" of magnetite used for tattooing in the past in South America. The body was found in a sitting position with no accompanying funerary wrappings, ornaments, or grave goods. Shock footage reveals moment a medieval mummy is seized in house raid But her black hair was well preserved by natural dehydration, while a few pieces of fabric were stuck to the surface of the body. Researchers believe the textiles could be from long lost animal fibres wrappings or bundles. It's unclear where the mummy came from, due to relatively shoddy museum records in the past century. Her remains were donated to the Italian Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography in 1931, with nearly no context besides the donors name. Filed only under 'South American artifacts', the age of the remains, and where they came from, have remained a mystery until now. Researchers were able to date the remains to from 1215 CE to 1382 CE. And there are also some hints as to her origins. The way her body was seated in an upright position suggests a preservation technique known as 'fardo'. The body would have been wrapped tightly in this position with many layers of fabric and then tied in a bundle - a common funerary practice in Paracas culture, of the Andean region on the south coast of Peru.
The Guardian
21-05-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
Plants produce more nectar when they ‘hear' bees buzzing, scientists find
Plants can 'hear' bees buzzing and serve up more nectar when they are nearby, scientists have found. The research suggests that plants are a more active partner than previously thought in their symbiotic relationship with pollinators. The behaviour could be a survival strategy that favours giving nectar and sugar to bees over so-called nectar robbers that do not offer plants any reproductive benefits. 'There is growing evidence that both insects and plants can sense and produce, or transmit, vibro-acoustic signals,' said Prof Francesca Barbero, a zoologist at the University of Turin, who led the research. The findings add to the 'truly astonishing' multitude of ways that plants can perceive their surroundings, including the presence of beneficial and harmful insects, temperature, drought and wind, Barbero added. In future, the team suggested, buzzing noises could be used on farms as an environmentally friendly way of enhancing the pollination of crops. The scientists are not yet sure how the plants might be listening in. They could rely on mechanoreceptors, cells that respond to mechanical stimulation such as touch, pressure or vibrations. 'Plants do not have a brain, but they can sense the environment and respond accordingly,' said Barbero. After observing that bees and competing insects have distinct vibrational signals that are used in mating and other forms of communication, Barbero and her collaborators set out to investigate whether plants detected these signals. They played recordings near snapdragons of the buzzing sounds produced by snail-shell bees (Rhodanthidium sticticum), which are efficient snapdragon pollinators, comparing the plants' response to sounds produced by a non-pollinating wasp and ambient sounds. The researchers found that in response to the snail-shell bee noises, the snapdragons increased the volume of nectar and its sugar content and showed altered expression in genes that govern sugar transport and nectar production. This could be an evolutionary adaptation to coax the pollinators into spending more time at the flowers. 'The ability to discriminate approaching pollinators based on their distinctive vibro-acoustic signals could be an adaptive strategy for plants,' said Barbero. While it is clear that buzzing sounds can trigger nectar production, the scientists are now looking into whether sounds from plants are being used actively to draw in suitable pollinators. They are also testing whether the plant responses enhanced the attraction for all flower visitors – including nectar robbers – or only the best pollinators. 'Our hypothesis is that the changes in nectar we observed after treating the plants with the sounds of the best pollinators specifically increase the attraction of this particular species (Rhodanthidium sticticum),' said Barbero. 'However, to confirm this, we need to conduct choice tests to assess how different nectar concentrations attract various species. 'If this response from insects is confirmed, sounds could be used to treat economically relevant plants and crops, and increase their pollinators' attraction,' she said. The findings were presented on Wednesday at the joint 188th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and 25th International Congress on Acoustics in New Orleans.
