Hidden artistic complexity of Peru’s Chancay culture discovered in tattoos by laser-stimulated fluorescence

Tattoos were a prevalent art form in pre-Hispanic South America exemplified by mummified human remains with preserved skin decoration that reflects the personal and cultural representations of their times. Tattoos are known to fade and bleed over time and this is compounded in mummies by the decay of the body, inhibiting the ability to examine the original art. Laser-stimulated fluorescence (LSF) produces images based on fluorescence emitted from within the target. Here, we present the first results of applying LSF to tattoos on human remains from the pre-Columbian Chancay culture of coastal Peru. We find that the preserved skin fluoresced strongly underneath the black tattoo ink yielding a high-contrast image that virtually eliminates the ink bleed, revealing the exceptionally fine details of the original artwork. The level of detail and precision of the artwork was found to be higher than associated pottery, textiles, and rock art suggesting special effort was expended by the Chancay on at least some of their tattoos. This suggests artistic complexity in pre-Columbian Peru was at a higher level than previously known, expanding the degree of artistic development found in South America at this time. LSF expands the scope of tattoo analysis and the level of detail this can yield providing a new technique to gain further insights into this important art form.