Lines of Life: Uncovering the Craft and Identity of Pazyryk Tattoo Artists New imaging techniques reveal the skilled hands & artistic choices behind 2,500-year-old tattoos from the Altai, reframing ancient body modification as a specialized practice of craft & identity

New infrared scans of a 2,500-year-old Pazyryk mummy reveal the hand of the ancient tattoo artist. These aren’t just marks—they’re a signature of skill, identity, and craft. #TattooArchaeology #Pazyryk #ScythianSteppe #Anthropology #BodyModification @antiquity.ac.uk

Inked in the Underworld: Maya Tattoo Tools and the Sacred Skin Two ancient chert blades from a Belize cave provide the first physical evidence of Maya tattooing—and offer a glimpse into how identity, power, and belief were etched into the flesh.

Archaeologists uncover Maya tattoo tools in a sacred Belize cave—stone blades bearing ink residue used in ceremonial skin marking. A rare glimpse into identity and belief, inked in stone. #Maya #TattooArchaeology #AncientArt #Anthropology #Belize