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The Best of Our Knowledge

The Best Of Our Knowledge

Ancient tattoos and dinosaur dung

By Lucas Willard

Published February 17, 2025 at 3:00 PM EST

Tattoos from the pre-Columbian Chancay culture of coastal Peru. (A) Tattoo “scales” on the forearm of mummified human remains under white light. (B) LSF image of A exposing additional fine detail in the tattoo artwork. Inset showing fine line details. (C) Infrared image of A reveals less detail than LSF image in B. (D) “Vine” tattoo on top of the hand of another mummified individual under white light. (E) LSF image of D revealing fine line details. (F) Finger tattoo of a third individual under white light. (G) LSF image of F reveals additional fine lines throughout design. (H) White light image of an amorphous animal tattoo on the chest of a fourth individual. (I) LSF image of H shows no more detail, with amorphous patches and poorly defined edges suggesting a lower quality tattoo than in A, D or F. (Scale bar, 1 cm.)

A team of researchers uses lasers to unveil tattoos on ancient Peruvian mummies.

And modern 3D imaging technology is being used to uncover dinosaurs’ diets and how they changed hundreds of millions of years ago.

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The Best Of Our Knowledge Ancient Tattoos Dinosaur dung

Lucas Willard

Lucas Willard is a news reporter and host at WAMC Northeast Public Radio, which he joined in 2011. He produces and hosts The Best of Our Knowledge and WAMC Listening Party.

See stories by Lucas Willard

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