Scientists have discovered how they tattooed the ice man Ötzi (11 photos)

5,300-year-old Iceman Ötzi's numerous tattoos were made with a bone needle, according to a new study. During the study, the tattoo artist tattooed his own leg using the same technique.





Ötzi the Iceman is a mummy found in a glacier in the Ötzal Alps in 1991. Ötzi died about 5,300 years ago, and his body remained mummified for thousands of years - until it was discovered by tourists in a mountain pass near the border of Italy and Austria. Since then, archaeologists have been actively studying the mummy, finding out more and more details about the life of this ancient man. This includes closely examining his numerous tattoos. In total, Ötzi has 61 tattoos on his body. He is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the owner of the oldest tattoos in the world.



How exactly and why Ötzi applied these drawings to his body remained a mystery for a long time. Previously, scientists thought that Ötzi's tattoos were made by rubbing ink into cuts on the skin, but this version has recently been refuted. It turned out that the tattoo was made by piercing the skin with a sharp object and tapping the points - most likely with a bone needle. Tattoo artist Danny Riday from New Zealand took part in the study. The same designs were applied to his legs as on Ötzi's body using four different techniques. Scientists carefully documented the healing process - and realized that the tattoos were made by puncturing the skin.





It is not yet known what Enzi's tattoos mean. These are mainly parallel lines and various signs, and perhaps they have hidden symbolism. Experts suggest that they could be therapeutic, that is, intended to “treat” certain diseases.





Tattoos were probably applied with such a sharp object:





Tattooing methods used in the study: