The ice-maiden's shoulder tattoo 
A warrior's shoulder tattoo 
Posted on 08/25/2012 10:23:09 PM PDT by rjbemsha
The body of the ice-maiden (aka Ukok Princess, etc.) is finally returning to the Altai Republic in a region close to Russia's frontiers with Mongolia, China, and Kazakhstan. Her well-preserved remains were discovered in 1993 by Novosibirsk scientist Natalia Polosmak during an archeological expedition.
After discovery, she was taken to a scientific institute in Novosibirsk. The local people in the Altai believe the princess's removal led to bad consequences, causing a crash of the helicopter carrying her remains away and a spate of 300 earth tremors in a six month period.
Upon return, she'll be kept in a special mausoleum at the Republican National Museum in capital Gorno-Altaisk, will be displayed in a glass sarcophagus to tourists, and will be available for scientific investigations.
DNA from her remains shows that she "is not related to any of the Asian races," in other words, not related to the present inhabitants of the region. "Genetic studies showed that the Pazyryks were a part of Samoyedic family, with elements of Iranian-Caucasian substratum," say the scientists.
Her tattoos and those of other mummies found in the vicinity fascinate the scientists. One man "had his entire body covered with tattoos... [whereas the ice-maiden] has only her two arms tattooed." According to the experts, this shows the tattoos "signified both age and status."
The tattoos on the left shoulder of the 'princess' show a fantastical mythological animal: a deer with a griffon's beak and a Capricorn's antlers. The antlers are decorated with the heads of griffons. And the same griffon's head is shown on the back of the animal.
The mouth of a spotted panther with a long tail is seen at the legs of a sheep.
She also has a deer's head on her wrist, with big antlers. There is a drawing on the animal's body on a thumb on her left hand.
On the man found close to the 'princess', the tattoos include the same fantastical creature, this time covering the right side of his body, across his right shoulder and stretching from his chest to his back.
The patterns mirror the tattoos on a much more elaborately covered male body, dug from the ice in 1929, whose highly decorated torso is also reconstructed in our drawing here.
His chest, arms, part of the back and the lower leg are covered with tattoos. There is an argali - a mountain sheep - along with the same deer with griffon's vulture-like beak, with horns and the back of its head which has a griffon's heads and an onager drawn on it. All animals are shown with the lower parts of their bodies turned inside out. There is also a winged snow leopard, a fish and fast-running argali.
Dr. Polosmak says: "...all the mummies we found with just one tattoo had it on their left shoulders.
"And nowadays this is the same place where people try to put the tattoos on, thousands of years on.
"I think its linked to the body composition... as the left shoulder is the place where it is noticeable most, where it looks the most beautiful. Nothing changes with years, the body stays the same, and the person making a tattoo now is getting closer to his ancestors than he or she may realise."
The ice-maiden's shoulder tattoo
A warrior's shoulder tattoo
The tats are really nice.
I wonder how they were done.
Some of these tattoos remind me of the caricatures used in depicting constellations.
Or maybe the ‘artists’ were high as a kite.
Obviously this is proof that tattoos are deadly. Everyone who had them in the past eventually died.
"That's a fine looking mummy. Can any of you all set me up?"
No tramp stamp. I guess she was a virgin.
I walked by a tattoo parlor yesterday called The Black Hand but I didn’t go in. It’s like the pet shop, you could walk out with a parrot. Or a tattoo of a parrot.
They could have been circus performers. Or escaped slaves who were like jesters. Or sorcerers who were wrong once.
Oh, man. Is Bill carbon dating again?
LOL!
Even back then there were poseurs and occupy Wall Street louts. Who knew? -Wb
Note: this topic is from 8/25/2012. Thanks rjbemsha.
What incredible and intricate tattoos for 2500 years ago. It is amazing.
I used to own Samoyeds. Wonderful dogs, beautiful. Great with children.
I had one years ago. he was GORGEOUS.
I thought that he was smart too...until i got a border Collie! LOL!
PFL
Ugh! They’re not going to find any tats on me!
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