The secret of tattoos of the 5300-year-old ice man Ötzi is revealed (photo)

An international team of archaeologists and tattoo artists has uncovered the mystery of the tattoos applied to the skin of the mummy known as the "Iceman Ötzi."

According to the results of the study published in the European Journal of Archaeology, they managed to establish how and why 61 drawings were applied on the body of this ancient man.

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According to the researchers, the tattoo on Ötzi is similar to acupuncture and may have been intended to improve her health. However, according to the study, it was possible to disprove the long-held belief that the tattoo was made by rubbing ink into incisions in the skin.

Experts have determined that the drawings were applied by piercing the skin with a sharp object, probably a bone or copper needle. To confirm this theory, tattoo artist Danny Ridey from New Zealand had the same designs applied to Ötzi's body using eight different tools and four different tattooing techniques.

As a reminder, a 2000-year-old bronze hand with mysterious inscriptions was discovered in Spain.

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