5000 year
old Mystery uncovered!
It’s been almost 24 years since the body of Ötzi the iceman
was unearthed, yet scientists are still discovering secrets about the
5,300-year-old mummy.
Using a modified camera, designed to capture a range of
wavelengths, experts have spotted a previously unseen tattoo on the ancient
specimen.
The markings were spotted near the ribcage on the lower
right side of the body, and they are the first etchings found on the front of
the torso.
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Experts used multispectral imaging, including
ultraviolet, visible and infrared wavelengths, to photograph the
5,300-year-old mummy’s body. After processing the images, the researchers
found unseen tattoos on Ötzi’s lower right rib cage that are invisible to the
naked eye (original markings pictured left, scans shown right)
In total, the ancient hunter has 61 tattoos grouped
across 19 body parts, which the archaeologists previously thought were used
as a primitive form of acupuncture.
However, they claim the new tattoo may contradict this
theory.
The team have mapped these tattoos in the Elsevie
The recent scans of Ötzi’s body were taken by Marco
Samadelli, Marcello Melis, Matteo Miccoli, Eduard Vigl, and Albert Zink from
the European
Academy of Bozen Institute for Mummies and the Iceman and
the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology.
They used a 36MP Nikon D800 camera fitted with filters
that captured wavelengths, including ultraviolet, visible and infrared.
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In total, the hunter has 61 tattoos grouped across 19
body parts. The archaeologists previously thought these markings were a
primitive form of acupuncture. However, they now think the new tattoo may
contradict this theory because it wasn't found near a joint. The team have
mapped these tattoo groups (pictured)
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This table shows the location and shape of the tattoo
groups. They range from 1mm (0.03 inches) and 3mm (0.1 inches) thick and 7mm
(0.2 inches) and 40mm (1.5 inches) long. The majority consist of lines
running parallel to each other, but in two locations, including the right
knee and left ankle, these lines form a cross
Using this camera, they found linear ink markings
across the body, ranging from between 1mm (0.03 inches) and 3mm (0.1 inches)
thick and between 7mm (0.2 inches) and 40mm (1.5 inches) long.
The majority of the tattoos consist of lines running
parallel to each other, between 2mm (0.07 inches) and 8mm (0.3 inches) apart.
In two locations, however, including the right knee and
left ankle, these lines form a cross.
THE ICEMAN'S TATTOOS
The recent scans of Ötzi’s body were taken by Marco
Samadelli, Marcello Melis, Matteo Miccoli, Eduard Vigl, and Albert Zink from
the European
Academy of Bozen Institute for Mummies and the Iceman and
the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology.
They used a 36MP Nikon D800 camera fitted with filters
that captured wavelengths including ultraviolet, visible and infrared.
Using this camera, they found linear ink markings,
ranging from between 1mm (0.03 inches) and 3mm (0.1 inches) thick and between
7mm (0.2 inches) and 40mm (1.5 inches) long.
The majority of the tattoos consist of lines running
parallel to each other, between 2mm (0.07 inches) and 8mm (0.3 inches) apart.
In two locations, however, including the right knee and
left ankle, these lines form a cross.
The right leg has seven groups of tattoos, the left leg
has four, and visible tattoos are also found on the back of the lumbar
region.
The longest tattoos are around the wrist of the left
hand, and many of these have been documented previously.
However, using the modified camera, the researchers
found a previously unseen group of tattoos that is barely visible.
This tattoo was found in the lower thoracic, and shows
four parallel lines varying from 20mm (0.7 inches) to 25 mm (0.9 inches).
The right leg has seven groups of tattoos, the left leg
has four, and visible tattoos are also found on the back of the lumbar region.
The longest tattoos are around the wrist of the left
hand, and many of these have been documented before.
However, using the modified camera, the researchers
also found a previously unseen group of tattoos that is barely visible to the
naked eye.
This tattoo was found in the right lower thoracic, and
shows four parallel lines of length varying from 20mm (0.7 inches) to 25 mm
(0.9 inches).
‘This is of particular interest, as this represents the
first tattoo that was detected on the iceman's frontal part of the torso,’
explained the researchers.
The ice man's tattoos are largely seen on parts of the
body that endured wear-and-tear, causing archaeologists to liken the practice
to acupuncture.
Radiological images of the tattooed areas of the mummy
show degenerative areas under the tattoos that could have caused pain.
‘In previous work on the tattoos of the iceman it was
mainly believed that their application was done as a kind of treatment or
diagnosis of health problems, in particular lower back pain and degenerative
joint disease of his knees, ankle and wrist,’ continued the experts.
‘The conclusion was drawn because basically all tattoos
were located in morphological areas close to the underlying spine and joints,
where degenerations have been identified based on earlier radiological
studies.’
But, the newly identified tattoo is not located close
to a joint, which has led them to question this theory.
When the mummy was first studied, experts were shocked
at Ötzi's tattooed skin as they had never seen real examples of Copper Age
tattoos before.
They were also surprised as it is popularly thought
that acupuncture was invented more than 2,000 years later in Asia.
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The ice man's tattoos (pictured) are largely seen on
parts of the body that endured wear-and-tear, causing archaeologists to liken
the practice to acupuncture - an ancient treatment for joint distress.
Radiological images of the tattooed areas also show degenerative areas under
the tattoos that could have caused pain
WHO WAS ÖTZI?
Ötzi, (artist's impression) was 46 when he died, and
measured 5ft 2 inches. He had brown eyes, and tests have revealed he was
lactose intolerant
The 5,300-year-old 'ice mummy' known as Ötzi suffered
from the world's first-known case of Lyme disease, a bacterial parasite
spread by ticks, according to DNA analysis.
Ötzi, who was 46 at the time of his death and measured
5ft 2inches, had brown eyes, relatives in Sardinia, and was lactose
intolerant.
Ötzi was also predisposed to heart disease.
Recent research focused on the DNA in the nuclei of
Ötzi's cells, and it could yield further insights into the famous ice mummy's
life.
Ötzi was unearthed in September 1991 by German
tourists trekking through the Oetz Valley, after which he was named.
Researchers examining the contents of his stomach
worked out that his final meal consisted of venison and ibex meat.
Archaeologists believe Ötzi, who was carrying a bow, a
quiver of arrows and a copper axe, may have been a hunter or warrior killed
in a skirmish with a rival tribe.
Researchers say he was about 159cm tall (5ft 2.5in), 46
years old, arthritic and infested with whipworm - an intestinal parasite.
His perfectly preserved body is stored in his own
specially designed cold storage chamber at the South Tyrol Museum of
Archaeology in Italy at a constant temperature of -6°C. Visitors can
view the mummy through a small window.
Alongside his remains is a new Ötzi model created
using 3D images of the corpse and forensic technology by two Dutch artists -
Alfons and Adrie Kennis.
 
The right leg has seven groups of tattoos, the left leg
has four, and visible tattoos are also found on the back of the lumbar
region. The longest tattoos are around the wrist of the left hand (pictured)
Ötzi got his tattoos by enduring a series of small
incisions in his skin, which were then rubbed with charcoal to make the
marks.
Professor Frank Rühli, head of the Centre for
Evolutionary Medicine at the University of Zurich, told MailOnline the
tattoos were probably a combination of decorative art and therapy.
Archaeologists believe that judging by the clothing,
tools and weapons found with the mummy frozen in the Alps on the Austrian,
Italian border two decades ago, Ötzi was a herder or a chieftain in Copper
Age Europe.
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Ötzi's tattoos are the only known examples of real-life
ancient tattoos, as all other examples are found in artwork at the time, and
reveal how the marks were made in Copper Age Europe. Ötzi (pictured) got his
tattoos by enduring a series of small incisions in his skin, which were then
rubbed with charcoal to make the marks
Professor Rühli said that while there might be a
connection to suggest the tattoos functioned as a form of ancient
acupuncture, it is difficult to see which ailments the mummy suffered from,
so an indication of the marks being therapeutic is 'likely' but cannot be
proven as there are not a number of similar bodies to study, found in the
same location that are the same age.
But, the Italian researchers aren’t ruling out that the
new tattoo may have been used to treat pain as well.
‘It is known from previous studies that the iceman
suffered from other pathological conditions that could have also caused pain
in the chest area, such as gallbladder stones, whipworms in his colon and
atherosclerosis.
‘Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that the iceman's
tattoos were indeed applied as a therapeutic treatment.’
The researchers now want to carry out further research
into this tattoo and its relation to acupuncture points.
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