Tattoos found on ancient Egyptian women appear to ask for protection during childbirth

Bob Yirka is a research scientist at Phys.org.

There are tattoos on the bodies of women who lived in Egypt thousands of years ago. In a paper published in The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Marie-Lys Arnette and Anne Austin outline their ideas about why the women had tattoos.

The ancient town of Deir el-medina was discovered in the early 1920s. The town was active over the years 1550 to 1070 BC and served as a community to house the men and their families who were building tombs for Egypt's royalty. The town was well planned with streets and homes for the people that lived there. The mummies were being studied when they found evidence of tattoos.

Two mummies were being studied by researchers. One of the mummies had been taken. There was evidence of a tattoo on the mummified skin. They were able to make out representations of a bowl, a purification ritual and a depiction of Bes, an Egyptian God who protected women and children.

Archaeology no longer unwraps mummies, so the second mummy was studied. The remains were found to be that of a woman with a second tattoo. The tattoo showed a wedjat and a crown made of feathers. The zigzag line beneath the other figures was believed to represent a marsh where people of the time would go to cool themselves and relieve pain. The two tattoos seem to represent a request for protection during the birth of a child.

There are tattoos on the lower back and upper thighs of women, which have images of Bes, found at the site.

Anne Austin is the author of Of Ink and Clay: Tattooed Mummified Human remains and Female Figurines from Deir el- Medina.

There is a science network.