THE ANCIENT TATTOOS OF A SIBERIAN ICE PRINCESS:
Tattoos are believed to be one of the world’s oldest art forms, though due to the mortality of art on skin, people usually don’t get the chance to see ancient ink. In 1993 scientist Natalia Polosmak set out on a Russian archeology excavation in Siberia’s Ukok Plateau. While going through an ancient burial ground Polosmak and her team uncovered the tomb of an unknown girl who was covered in highly well-preserved tattoos. Due to the freezing temperatures of the Altai Mountains that surround the Ukok Plateau and the brief mummification process that occurred before her burial, the girl who has now become known as Princess Ukok was preserved in permafrost for 2,500 years. Princess Ukok is believed to have been a part of the ancient nomadic Siberian people, the Pazryk, who were known for using tattoos to symbolize age, status, and family.
