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CNN
11 hours ago
- Science
- CNN
New imaging reveals intricate tattoos on 2,000-year-old Siberian ‘ice mummy'
Archaeologists have used cutting edge techniques to reveal new information about the intricate tattoos of a woman that lived in Siberia during the Iron Age. Although the prehistoric remains date from more than 2,000 years ago, the skin, and therefore the tattoos, of mummies from the region's Pazyryk culture have been preserved in permafrost in the Altai mountains, according to a statement from the journal Antiquity, which published the study, on Thursday. The tattoos 'have long intrigued archaeologists due to their elaborate figural designs,' said study author Gino Caspari, an archaeologist at the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology and the University of Bern, in the statement. However, previous research on the tattoos has been based on early schematic drawings. 'These interpretations lacked clarity regarding the techniques and tools used and did not focus much on the individuals but rather the overarching social context,' said Caspari. Now, however, researchers have been able to produce a 3D scan of one tattooed mummy using newly-available high-resolution near infrared photography, shedding light on the high-level of craftsmanship of Pazyryk tattoo artists. Researchers worked with modern tattoo artists to identify the tools and techniques used by their ancient counterparts, revealing that this particular mummy had more intricate tattoos on its right forearm than on the left. While the two tattoos share many of the same characteristics, the right arm shows 'a finer attention to detail and a greater array of visual techniques' compared to the left, according to the study. The right arm tattoo most likely took at least two sessions to complete, and makes use of the contours of the wrist to allow the tattoo to flow over the arm, it adds. This 'clever placement' not only 'showcases the artist's expertise,' but emphasizes a feline animal as the focal point of the tattoo, according to the study. This expertise is further demonstrated by the clear and consistent linework, said the researchers. 'Achieving such crisp and uniform results, especially with hand-poked methods, would be a challenge even for contemporary tattooists using modern equipment,' they wrote. This may mean that the work was carried out by two different artists, or the same artist at different stages of training, indicating that tattooing was a skilled craft for the Pazyryk, requiring formal training and technical ability, according to the statement. 'The study offers a new way to recognize personal agency in prehistoric body modification practices,' said Caspari. 'Tattooing emerges not merely as symbolic decoration but as a specialized craft – one that demanded technical skill, aesthetic sensitivity, and formal training or apprenticeship.' This is not dissimilar to modern tattoo artists, he added. 'This made me feel like we were much closer to seeing the people behind the art, how they worked and learned and made mistakes,' said Caspari. 'The images came alive.'
The Irish Sun
11 hours ago
- Science
- The Irish Sun
Stunning 2,500-year-old TATTOOS from Siberian ‘ice mummy' depicting ‘mythical creatures' revealed in perfect detail
THE intricate tattoos of a 2,500-year-old Siberian "ice mummy" have finally been revealed through high-tech imaging. The designs reveal leopards, tigers, a stag, a rooster and even some long-lost mythical creatures. 7 The tattoos belong to a woman, who has about 50-years-old when she died Credit: M Vavulin 7 On her right forearm, the woman had an image of leopards and tigers around the head of two deer Credit: Daniel Riday 7 The woman is thought to have belonged to the nomadic horse-riding Pazyryk culture, which roamed the lands between China and Europe Credit: Getty They are so detailed that even a modern tattooist would struggle to reproduce them, according to the researchers behind the discovery. The tattoos belong to a woman who was about 50-years-old when she died. She is thought to have belonged to the nomadic horse-riding Pazyryk culture, which roamed the lands between China and Europe. The scans exposed "intricate, crisp and uniform" tattooing that could not be seen with the naked eye. READ MORE ON ARCHAEOLOGY Over the two millennia, the ink has become all but invisible on the body as the skin darkens with time. "The insights really drive home to me the point of how sophisticated these people were," lead author Dr Gino Caspari from the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology and the University of Bern, told Archaeologists worked with researcher Daniel Riday, a tattooist who reproduces ancient ink on his own body to understand how they were made. Tattooing was likely widespread during prehistory, but few remains from that era are preserved well enough to investigate. Most read in Science 7 Tattooing was likely widespread during prehistory, but few remains from that era are preserved well enough to investigate Credit: Daniel Riday But the so-called "ice mummies" of the Altai mountains in Siberia were often encased in ice tombs which preserved the skin. While the tattoos were not visibly on the skin, they were brought back to life using near-infrared digital photography in the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, Russia. Mystery Solved: The Story of 'The Screaming Woman' Mummy (1) The high-resolution scans were able to reveal the decorations for the first time in 2,500 years. "This made me feel like we were much closer to seeing the people behind the art, how they worked and learned. The images came alive," said Dr Caspari. On her right forearm, the woman had an image of leopards and tigers around the head of two deer. On the left arm, a mythical griffin-like creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle appears to be fighting with a stag. "Twisted hind bodies and really intense battle scenes of wild animals are typical of the culture," explained Dr Caspari. 7 The high-resolution scans were able to reveal the decorations for the first time in 2,500 years Credit: Daniel Riday The "ice mummy" also had a rooster on her thumb, showing "an intriguing style with a certain uniqueness," says Dr Caspari. The design was made with uniform thickness, suggesting sophisticated methods and tools for tattooing. Some lines were created using a multipoint tool, while others were made with a finer, single-point tool, according to the study. The researchers could even see where the ancient tattooist stopped working and picked up again in the overlapping of some lines. "Many cultures around the world traditionally used bundles of plant thorns and spines to tattoo," study co-author , an archaeologist at the Tennessee Division of Archaeology and ancient-tattooing expert, told "We envision the multi-point tool as being a tightly clustered bundle of tines, probably bound together with thread or sinew." The tools were made of natural, biodegradable materials, meaning the researchers aren't able to examine the implements themselves. 7 The so-called "ice mummies" of the Altai mountains in Siberia were often encased in ice tombs which preserved the skin Credit: M Vavulin 7 On the left arm, a mythical griffin-like creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle appears to be fighting with a stag Credit: Daniel Riday
CNN
12 hours ago
- Science
- CNN
New imaging reveals intricate tattoos on 2,000-year-old Siberian ‘ice mummy'
Archaeologists have used cutting edge techniques to reveal new information about the intricate tattoos of a woman that lived in Siberia during the Iron Age. Although the prehistoric remains date from more than 2,000 years ago, the skin, and therefore the tattoos, of mummies from the region's Pazyryk culture have been preserved in permafrost in the Altai mountains, according to a statement from the journal Antiquity, which published the study, on Thursday. The tattoos 'have long intrigued archaeologists due to their elaborate figural designs,' said study author Gino Caspari, an archaeologist at the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology and the University of Bern, in the statement. However, previous research on the tattoos has been based on early schematic drawings. 'These interpretations lacked clarity regarding the techniques and tools used and did not focus much on the individuals but rather the overarching social context,' said Caspari. Now, however, researchers have been able to produce a 3D scan of one tattooed mummy using newly-available high-resolution near infrared photography, shedding light on the high-level of craftsmanship of Pazyryk tattoo artists. Researchers worked with modern tattoo artists to identify the tools and techniques used by their ancient counterparts, revealing that this particular mummy had more intricate tattoos on its right forearm than on the left. While the two tattoos share many of the same characteristics, the right arm shows 'a finer attention to detail and a greater array of visual techniques' compared to the left, according to the study. The right arm tattoo most likely took at least two sessions to complete, and makes use of the contours of the wrist to allow the tattoo to flow over the arm, it adds. This 'clever placement' not only 'showcases the artist's expertise,' but emphasizes a feline animal as the focal point of the tattoo, according to the study. This expertise is further demonstrated by the clear and consistent linework, said the researchers. 'Achieving such crisp and uniform results, especially with hand-poked methods, would be a challenge even for contemporary tattooists using modern equipment,' they wrote. This may mean that the work was carried out by two different artists, or the same artist at different stages of training, indicating that tattooing was a skilled craft for the Pazyryk, requiring formal training and technical ability, according to the statement. 'The study offers a new way to recognize personal agency in prehistoric body modification practices,' said Caspari. 'Tattooing emerges not merely as symbolic decoration but as a specialized craft – one that demanded technical skill, aesthetic sensitivity, and formal training or apprenticeship.' This is not dissimilar to modern tattoo artists, he added. 'This made me feel like we were much closer to seeing the people behind the art, how they worked and learned and made mistakes,' said Caspari. 'The images came alive.'
CNN
12 hours ago
- Science
- CNN
New imaging reveals intricate tattoos on 2,000-year-old Siberian ‘ice mummy'
Archaeologists have used cutting edge techniques to reveal new information about the intricate tattoos of a woman that lived in Siberia during the Iron Age. Although the prehistoric remains date from more than 2,000 years ago, the skin, and therefore the tattoos, of mummies from the region's Pazyryk culture have been preserved in permafrost in the Altai mountains, according to a statement from the journal Antiquity, which published the study, on Thursday. The tattoos 'have long intrigued archaeologists due to their elaborate figural designs,' said study author Gino Caspari, an archaeologist at the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology and the University of Bern, in the statement. However, previous research on the tattoos has been based on early schematic drawings. 'These interpretations lacked clarity regarding the techniques and tools used and did not focus much on the individuals but rather the overarching social context,' said Caspari. Now, however, researchers have been able to produce a 3D scan of one tattooed mummy using newly-available high-resolution near infrared photography, shedding light on the high-level of craftsmanship of Pazyryk tattoo artists. Researchers worked with modern tattoo artists to identify the tools and techniques used by their ancient counterparts, revealing that this particular mummy had more intricate tattoos on its right forearm than on the left. While the two tattoos share many of the same characteristics, the right arm shows 'a finer attention to detail and a greater array of visual techniques' compared to the left, according to the study. The right arm tattoo most likely took at least two sessions to complete, and makes use of the contours of the wrist to allow the tattoo to flow over the arm, it adds. This 'clever placement' not only 'showcases the artist's expertise,' but emphasizes a feline animal as the focal point of the tattoo, according to the study. This expertise is further demonstrated by the clear and consistent linework, said the researchers. 'Achieving such crisp and uniform results, especially with hand-poked methods, would be a challenge even for contemporary tattooists using modern equipment,' they wrote. This may mean that the work was carried out by two different artists, or the same artist at different stages of training, indicating that tattooing was a skilled craft for the Pazyryk, requiring formal training and technical ability, according to the statement. 'The study offers a new way to recognize personal agency in prehistoric body modification practices,' said Caspari. 'Tattooing emerges not merely as symbolic decoration but as a specialized craft – one that demanded technical skill, aesthetic sensitivity, and formal training or apprenticeship.' This is not dissimilar to modern tattoo artists, he added. 'This made me feel like we were much closer to seeing the people behind the art, how they worked and learned and made mistakes,' said Caspari. 'The images came alive.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Implenia secures new construction contracts worth SFr400m
Swiss construction firm Implenia has secured a series of new contracts in the building construction sector, collectively valued at approximately SFr400m ($496.8m). The projects align with Implenia's strategic focus on specialised buildings that demand extensive expertise and experience. The University of Bern has commissioned Implenia to construct a new medical research and training centre on the Inselareal site. The facility will consolidate five institutes of the university's faculty into a single building, featuring advanced laboratories, office spaces, and training and meeting rooms across seven upper and five underground floors. Construction on the medical research and training centre is set to commence in May 2026 and conclude by July 2028. In Oetwil am See, meanwhile, Implenia has been tasked by Seraina Investment Foundation, represented by Seraina Invest, to plan and build eight apartment buildings that will house 90 owner-occupied apartments in Zurich Oberland. The development includes outdoor spaces, a shared underground parking garage, and commercial spaces on the ground floor. The project will adhere to the Minergie standard and utilise building information modelling. Construction is scheduled to start in mid-2025 and finish by October 2027. Additionally, Implenia will undertake the modernisation and conversion of an inner-city building into a mixed-use property with retail and office spaces. The company is also developing a site in French-speaking Switzerland, transforming an old factory area into a new district with housing, workplaces, and businesses. Additionally, Implenia has secured contracts for constructing two large school buildings in Switzerland and Germany. Last month, Implenia won a contract exceeding €200m to construct a segment of the Nordmainische S-Bahn beneath central Frankfurt, Germany. The contract was granted by DB InfraGO, a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn, the German state-owned railway company. The new underground section will stretch from Konstablerwache in the city centre to Fechenheim, including the new 'Frankfurt (Main) Ost (tief)' S-Bahn station along its route. "Implenia secures new construction contracts worth SFr400m" was originally created and published by World Construction Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
