Overview

• High-resolution near-infrared photography and 3D modeling revealed previously unseen tattoos on a 2,300-year-old Pazyryk ice mummy from Siberia’s Altai Mountains.
• Intricate animal and mythical motifs—including tigers, deer, leopards, birds and griffins—adorn the woman’s hands and forearms in detailed scenes.
• Analysis shows uniform tattoo lines were created by multipoint implements and finer single-point needles applied over multiple sessions.
• Variation in detail between the right and left forearm designs suggests distinct skill levels among tattooists and points to formal training or apprenticeship.
• Evidence that many tattoos were cut during embalming indicates these markings carried symbolic or ritual significance separate from afterlife beliefs.