Siberian Ice Mummies Reveal the Painful Secrets of Ancient Tattooing

Stunning Tattoos Found on 2,500-Year-Old 'Ice Mummy'

Long before tattoo shops offered walk-in flash tats and Pinterest boards flooded with minimalist linework, people were getting inked for reasons we’re still figuring out. A Siberian mummy just gave us a fresh clue. The woman, part of the nomadic Pazyryk culture, was buried in the Siberian permafrost around 300 BCE. Her skin survived the centuries thanks to cold temperatures and early embalming techniques. On her forearms and hands are tattoos of…

Impossibly Intricate Tattoos Found on 2,000-Year-Old 'Ice Mummy'

As in modern times, tattooing in ancient Siberia was an art that required formal training and artistic sensibilities, researchers say.

Siberian ice mummies reveal the painful secrets of ancient tattooing

People in the Pazyryk Valley in central Siberia were buried in land so cold that even their skin was preserved. Their ornate animal tattoos show that the ancient artisans used a range of tools to achieve artistic drama – and make their customers cry out in pain just like today

Impossibly Intricate Tattoos Found on 2,000-Year-Old ‘Ice Mummy’ - WorldNL Magazine

For the first time, archeologists have gotten a detailed look at the intricate tattoos on a 2,000-year-old ice mummy, found buried deep within the permafrost-covered mountains of Siberia. These tattoos would be challenging to produce even today, the researchers say, suggesting that ancient tattoo artists possessed a considerable degree of skill. With help from modern tattoo artists, an international team of researchers examined the mummy’s tatto…

Impossibly Intricate Tattoos Found on 2,000-Year-Old ‘Ice Mummy’

As in modern times, tattooing in ancient Siberia was an art that required formal training and artistic sensibilities, researchers say.