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3,000-Year Old Tattooed Mummy Belongs to Egyptian Woman

October 19, 2018
Photos courtesy of the Ministry of Antiquities

According to a press release by the Ministry of Antiquities, a mummy uncovered in  Deir El-Madina Village on the West Bank of Luxor featuring 30 tattoos belongs to a young woman.

The mummy was found in 2014 by the French Archaeological mission from the French Institute of Oriental Studies (IFAO) which carried out the scientific research of the mummy and its tattoos using infrared technology.

Dr. Mostafa Waziri, General Secretary of the Supreme council of Antiquities explained that the studies revealed that woman probably had lived between 1300 and 1070 BC and died between 25 to 34 years old.

The mummy has 30 unique tattoos etched on different parts of the body, including the neck, back, shoulders and arms. The tattoos are of bulls, lotus flowers, a group of cattle and the Udjat eye, which reflect that this mummy belongs to a woman who had an important religious status during her lifetime.

Photos courtesy of the Ministry of Antiquities

Although her different titles, positions and name have not been identified, Wazizi added that the  woman was probably a top official or an elite.

Dr. Waziri also said that other uncovered mummies were found with simple tattoos featuring small lines or dots, but the young woman’s mummified body is the first to feature real figures.

The mummy is now kept in Tomb TT 291, providing the same environmental conditions since its was buried 3000 years ago.

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