Finding Meaning Behind 5,300-Year-Old Ötzi the Iceman's 61 Tattoos

Found in 1991, researchers have since analyzed Ötzi Iceman for many scientific purposes, along with mapping all 61 ancient tattoos.

D-brief
By Carl Engelking
Oct 7, 2022 12:45 PMOct 7, 2022 6:14 PM
Otzi, Iceman - Wikimedia Commons
(Credit: Wikimedia Commons)

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This article was originally published on January 30, 2015.

Proving that tattoos can age well, all 61 tattoos on the mummified Ötzi the Iceman have been mapped — and they still look pretty darn good, all things considered.

Anthropologists mapped the ink on the 5,300-year-remains using a new imaging technique, revealing previously-unknown tattoos. With this new census in hand, researchers hope to finally answer the question of what the tattoos mean.

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