Infrared Scans Reveal Craftsmanship of 2,000-Year-Old Siberian Tattoos

An international team led by Dr. Gino Caspari of the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology and the University of Bern has produced the most detailed images to date of tattoos preserved on a 2,000-year-old “ice mummy” from the Pazyryk culture in the Altai Mountains of Siberia. Using dozens of high-resolution near-infrared photographs that were digitally stitched into a three-dimensional model, the researchers revealed intricate motifs—ranging from leopards and deer to a mythical griffin—on the mummy’s forearms and shoulders. The scans show that the right arm displays more complex line work and shading than the left, suggesting the involvement of at least two artists or a single artist whose technique improved over time. Tool marks indicate multiple needle configurations and that the work was completed across several sessions, pointing to a specialized craft rather than casual body decoration. Published in the journal Antiquity, the study offers rare insight into individual artisanship in prehistoric Siberia, where permafrost has preserved only a handful of tattooed remains. The findings strengthen evidence that Iron Age pastoralists in the region maintained formal training systems for tattooing, underscoring the cultural and technical sophistication of the Pazyryk people.