Revealing tattoo traditions in ancient Nubia through multispectral imaging

Abstract

We conducted a systematic survey for tattoos among 1,048 individuals from Sudan (c. 350 BCE–1400 CE) and documented 27 individuals with tattoos—almost doubling the known number of tattooed individuals from the ancient Nile Valley. Microscopic imaging and the distribution of these tattoos demonstrate a shift in tattoo practices during the Christian period, including tattooing on children under age three. Extensive tattooing at Kulubnarti attests to the earliest evidence for Christian tattoo traditions in northeast Africa and may be ancestral to modern Christian practices in the region. Overall, this research suggests that ancient tattoo practices were more widespread than indicated by previous research, necessitating additional systematic surveys of tattoos using multispectral imaging in anthropological research collections and excavations.