Discover the world's oldest tattoo on a 5,000-year-old mummy

The Journal of Archaeological Science reports that scientists have discovered remains on ancient Egyptian mummies that they believe appear to be traces of tattoos.

Accordingly

archaeologists have found images of what is believed to be a wild cow and Barbary sheep on the arm of the male mummy and the tatkuink letter S on the arm and shoulder of the female mummy.

If the above hypothesis is correct

it would be the world's oldest tattoos that modern humans have ever discovered, at about 5,000 years old. Before that, scientific evidence said that tattooing seems to have appeared in Africa 1,000 years ago.

Daniel Antoine, one of the study's lead authors, said the exciting discovery could change people's understanding of ancient life today.

The male mummy was found about 100 years ago. CT scan images show that the mummy was formerly a young man aged 18-21 and died from a knife stab in the back.

The dark part of the arm skin of the Australian mummy was thought to be an unimportant detail until scientists scanned it with infrared radiation and discovered it was most likely a tattoo of two animals. horned.

On the female mummy

scientists discovered S-shaped markings running skull clothing along the right shoulder. In addition, on the body of the mummy, they also found marks that are believed to be batons used in ancient ritual dances.

Scientists believe that this tattoo seems to represent the status, fame, intelligence and courage of the owner. The mummies were found at Gebelein in the south of Egypt. The bodies of these people were buried in ordinary graves, but naturally preserved by the heat, salinity and aridity of the desert.