Ancient burial sites in Egypt reveal tattooed mummies

CAIRO – 13 November 2022:  Ancient burial sites in Egypt revealed tattooed mummies, mostly of females.

The discovery of new tattooed mummies at the site of the New Kingdom at Deir el-Medina (1550 BC to 1070 BC) has shed more light on the type of tattoo particularly found on female mummies. The tattoo designs found on both mummies and clay figurines are likely related to the ancient Egyptian deity Bes, who protected women and children during childbirth.

Researchers Anne Austin and Marie-Les Arnett published their findings in October in the Journal of Egyptian Archeology. Arnett, an Egyptologist, said that a tattoo of the deity Bes was found on the mummy’s thighs and lower back, according to ancient-origins.

The first tattoo was found on the thigh of a middle-aged woman in a tomb discovered in 2019. On the skin there were patterns of a dark color that may have run along her lower back. To the left of the tattoo is an image of the deity Bes with a bowl - a symbol of the purity of the postpartum ritual. 

The second tattoo was also found on the body of a woman from a nearby tomb. The Wdjat or the Eye of Horus was found with a possible image of the deity Bes wearing a feathered crown.

This was captured using infrared photography as the tattoos were really hard to notice with the naked eye. This tattoo was associated with protection and healing.