American scientists from the Universities of Missouri in St. Louis and Johns Hopkins discovered ancient
Back in the early 1920s, archaeologists discoveredthe ancient city of Deir el-Medina, located near the bed of the Nile in Egypt. Previous research has shown that the city was inhabited between 1550 and 1070 BC. Archaeologists believe it was founded to house tomb builders for Egyptian rulers.
In the new work, scientists examined two femalemummies recovered from burials located in this city. One of them was looted, and the mummy was unwrapped. When examining the skin, the researchers found traces of a tattoo. They were able to see images of a cup, a purification ritual, and an image of Bes, an Egyptian god whose role was to protect women and children, especially during childbirth.
Protective tattoo on the neck of an ancient Egyptian woman. Image: Anne Austin, University of Missouri-St. Louis, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology
The second mummy was preserved in its original form,wrapped in funeral bandages soaked in mummifying balsam. Researchers studied her remains using infrared photographs. The analysis showed that this middle-aged woman also had a tattoo applied to her skin.
This tattoo features a wadget(an ancient Egyptian symbol, the left hawk eye of the god Horus) and Bes, this time wearing a crown of feathers. It also had a zigzag line underneath other figures, which likely represented a swamp where people of the time went to cool off and sometimes relieve pain, such as childbirth.
In addition to the drawings applied to the body,the researchers also found several anthropomorphic clay figurines in the burial. Images of the god Bes were also applied to them, and the images were placed on the lower back and upper thighs of women.
The researchers suggest that both tattoos, as well as the clay figurines, represent a request from those who wear them for protection during childbirth.
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