Lasers are typically used to remove tattoos from the skin with mixed results. These tight beams of light can also reveal the ink that once decorated 1,200-year-old pieces of mummified skin. Using a newly developed laser technique,

With a tool often used in the study of dinosaur fossils, scientists uncovered new details in ornate tattoos on the skin of members of the Chancay culture of Peru.

A new laser-based technique has revealed the intricate details of tattoos on centuries-old mummies in Peru, archaeologists report in a new study. However, not everyone is convinced that the new technique is better than existing methods for analyzing historical tattoos.

For more than 5,000 years, humans have adorned themselves with tattoos. In a new study, researchers used lasers to uncover highly intricate designs of ancient tattoos on mummies from Peru. The preserved skin of the mummies and the black tattoo ink used show a stark contrast — revealing fine details in tattoos dating to around

The tattoos of 1200-year-old mummies from Peru can now be seen in exquisite detail, showing fine markings that may have been made with cactus needles or animal bones

Researchers used lasers to uncover intricate, hidden tattoos on 13th-century Peruvian mummies, revealing details of ancient body art invisible to the naked eye. View on euronews