1400 years ago, children were getting tattoos - and it's not uncommon

Archaeologists and bioarchaeologists have discovered an unexpected detail of everyday life in medieval Nubia: even babies and toddlers were tattooed, often on their faces. The finding was obtained during a systematic examination of remains from the Nile Valley in modern Sudan.

The research team led by Anna Austin together with Brenda Baker and Tatjana Jovanovic studied 1,048 human remains from three sites - Semna South, Qinifab School and Kulubnarti - covering the period from about 350 BC to 1400 AD. A key tool was multispectral (including near-infrared) imaging, which allows the drawings to be 'illuminated' beneath the surface of the skin: tattoos can be almost indistinguishable to the normal eye on darkened or heavily aged fabric.

What they were able to see

Using the new technique, the team identified tattoos in 27 people, 25 of whom were previously unknown to the researchers - nearly doubling the number of documented cases of tattoos in the Nile Valley (previously there were about 30 known examples).

Tattoos have been found on people of different genders and ages, from infants to the elderly. The Kulubnarti monument, which is associated with the Christian period, stands out: tattoo marks were much more widespread here, and some of the designs may have resembled cross-shaped marks on the forehead.

A separate surprise is age: researchers report possible tattoo marks on a child under a year old and cases of tattoos on children under 3 years old. In addition, some remains show signs of "superimposition" of new designs on top of old ones - this may mean that tattooing was repeated even in very young children.

Why Christianity is to blame

According to the authors, the distribution and style of the designs indicate a cultural shift. In earlier traditions, tattoos, judging from descriptions, were more often covert and often associated with female practices. And in the Christian era at Kulubnarti, the tattoos become as visible as possible - on the forehead, temples and cheeks - and were probably performed more quickly: the shape of the marks suggests single punctures with a sharp instrument (up to a "knife" tip), which is more convenient when working with restless children.

Protective symbol or "folk medicine"?

The authors also discuss a practical explanation: facial tattoos could fulfil a protective/medical function. In particular, because of their localisation on the head and their frequency in children, a link to symptoms such as headaches and high temperatures (which, for example, are characteristic of malaria and other infections) is suggested.