About 5,300 years ago, a man was shot in the back with an arrow high in the Italian Alps. He likely bled to death within minutes and collapsed in the ice which preserved his body. On September 19, 1991, a group of German hikers discovered the iceman which was later known as Ötzi.
Preserved Body Marks
Since his discovery, Ötzi has been the subject of intrigues, including the mystery of his death. His frozen body was also accompanied by his ancient clothing, gear and traces of plants and fungi preserved in his gut. Aside from this, the mummy was also covered with tattoos.
For several decades, it has become unclear how the tattoos were created in the iceman's body and what tools and techniques were used. One of the most famous theories suggest that the tattoos were made by incision technique. This involves cutting the skin first and then rubbing it with plant-based pigment.
However, this theory has been questioned by the researchers at the Tennessee Division of Archaeology (TDOA). They claim that another method called the hand-poking technique was used to create the thousand-year-old tattoos.
According to the study "Chalcolithic Tattooing: Historical and Experimental Evaluation of the Tyrolean Iceman's Body Markings", Ötzi the iceman presents some of the oldest direct evidence of tattooing in the past. The glacier mummy had a total of 61 tattoos, consisting of 19 groups of black lines that measure less than one inch long.
Although Ötzi lived between 3350 and 3105 BC, the experts claim to have unveiled the mystery of how these tattoos were created. They believe that the tattoos were likely made by Ötzi himself using the hand-poking technique. This technique involves the use of a sharp handheld implement dipped in the tattoo ink and then stabbed repeatedly at the skin dot by dot.
According to TDOA archaeologist Aaron Deter-Wolf, one theory claims that the marks on Ötzi's body were not traditional tattoos. Instead, they involve plant matter packed into incised wounds and then set on fire. Since there is no proof for this theory, it was left behind over time, but the idea of incision persisted.
Unveiling the Mystery of the Tattoos
To finally solve the mystery as to how Ötzi got his tattoos, Deter-Wolf collaborated with tattoo artist Danny Riday of the Temple Tattoo in New Zealand. They used four different tattooing techniques to replicate the iceman's marking on Riday's leg. The marks were allowed to heal and then compared to the ancient tattoos.
A tattooing tool makes a small wound every time it breaks the skin. All the wounds have distinctive traits which depend on the way they were created. The incision technique resulted in straight clean edges from the blade, while the hand-poking technique gave tiny overlapping circles or irregular shapes.
It was found that the marks on Ötzi's body most closely resembled the one created from the hand-poking technique. They were also more likely made using a shape bone or a small pointed tool known as copper awl. These types of artifacts were found in the part of the Alps where the iceman's mummified body was found.
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