At various points in human history, tattooing has been ubiquitous on almost every continent on Earth, used for reasons of aestheticism, religious beliefs or for social purposes. To study the art of tattooing with respect to a particular culture, one must always be critical to any references to the practice (written, pictorial or artefactual) due to issues of translation and misinterpretation. Complete verification may only come with the discovery of actual tattooed human remains. In combination with artefactual and anthropological evidence, these remains not only provide physical proof of the practice in a culture's ancestry but also possess the ability to link various other forms of physical evidence, which on their own would remain speculative. By its very nature, tattooing may only exist while the bearer is alive. Once the owner dies, the skin, along with the tattoo, decomposes (under normal decomposition conditions) and is lost forever. However, tattoos may survive if the dermal layers of the skin are preserved, either by natural or artificial means. The processes of mummification in various civilisations have provided us with a rare opportunity to study the art and processes of tattooing in antiquity. Existing tattooed mummified remains have been found in: Egypt; Siberia; Eastern Central Asia; Greenland; Alaska and St. Lawrence Islands; Central Andes (Peru and Chile); Philippines; New Zealand and Italy. Existing literature regarding the analysis of tattooing inks and pigments once deposited into the skin is very limited. Comparatively, the industrial organic pigments used to colour the majority of modern tattooing inks sold today have not been officially approved by any regulating body and as such, manufacturers are not required to disclose the chemical ingredients of their products. Chemical identification of these tattoo pigments post-procedure will aid medical practitioners in the event of complications or for the purposes of tattoo removal. Forensically, tattoos are often one of the distinguishing features used in the identification of victims of crime or accidents. Experiments were carried out using an animal model (Sus scrofa) for the tattooing. Given the theoretically large but ultimately limited range of substances available to both ancient and modern tattooists, the premise of the experiment involved surveying the literature regarding possible tattooing pigments and either obtaining or reproducing a careful selection of these in the laboratory. These pigments were then tattooed onto the ii animal model and after allowing for the essential healing period, the tattooed areas were excised, with those tattooed with traditional pigments subjected to various simulated mummification environments.

Abstract This dissertation is a pioneering effort in a project to document, preserve and study the human remains found beneath old Northern Finnish churches. These remains have spontaneously mummified as a result of the early modern elite’s practice of burying under church floors. The main subject of the study is an early 17th-century Vicar of the Kemi parish, Nikolaus Rungius, and his mummified remains. His mummy that still is an important tourist attraction and a popular character in local lore, has a unique history as it has been exhibited since the 18th-century. The computed tomography scanning performed on the mummy revealed pathological findings suggesting that the Vicar suffered from obesity-related conditions. The most convincing of these was the manifestation of DISH in his thoracic spine. There were also indications of tuberculosis, such as a probable Pott’s spine, as well as calcifications, for example, in subareolar regions. The latter may also represent gynaecomastia, which currently is a rather common finding in elderly men. The scans also provided information concerning the preservation. In addition to the right forearm that was lost by the mid-19th-century, six cervical vertebrae are missing. The head still appears to be attached through a continuous band of soft tissue, and has likely belonged to the same person as the rest of the body. Both the Vicar’s dental health examined through the scans, and the results of the stable isotope analyses (δ13C, δ15N) of his nail keratin, along with the obesity-related findings, indicated a rather heavy diet rich in protein. This is in line with what is known about the early modern Northern Finnish diets. They were mainly based on foodstuffs acquired by hunting, fishing and animal husbandry. These interpretations also comport with the Vicar’s status, and assumed wealth. Typically, the clergy could maintain abundant diets. Even manifestations of DISH are rather commonly found in remains from monastery sites. The Vicar’s δ15N value was elevated in comparison to the values of the control group comprised of other early modern human remains in Northern Finnish churches. This discrepancy may be due to a stronger input of dietary protein sourced from top aquatic predators, such as the seal. Another plausible explanation could be the connection between the elevated δ15N value and DISH previously found by several authors. / Tiivistelmä Tämä väitöstutkimus on osa projektia, jonka päämääränä on vanhojen pohjoissuomalaisten kirkkojen alla lepäävien muumioituneiden vainajien dokumentointi, säilyttäminen ja tutkimus. Muumioitumisen taustalla on varhaisen uuden ajan eliitin tapa haudata kirkkojen lattioidenalaisiin tiloihin. Tutkimuksen pääkohteena on 1600-luvun alun Kemin seurakunnan kirkkoherran, Nikolaus Rungiuksen hyvin säilynyt ruumis. Kirkkoherran muumiolla on ainutlaatuinen historia, sillä se on ollut nähtävillä 1700-luvulta lähtien. Tämä paikallistaruston hyvin tuntema hahmo on edelleenkin tärkeä turistikohde. Muumion tietokonetomografinen kuvantaminen paljasti useita patologisia löydöksiä. Osa niistä vihjaa kirkkoherran kärsineen tiloista, joilla on yhteys ylipainoon. Kaikista vakuuttavimmin siihen viittaisi hänen rintarangassaan havaittu diffuusin idiopaattisen skeletaalisen hyperostoosin (DISH) aiheuttama leesio. Myös tuberkuloosista havaittiin viitteitä, kuten mahdollinen Pottin tauti, sekä subareolaariset kalkkeumat. Jälkimmäiset voivat tosin olla gynekomastiankin aiheuttamat. Kuvantaminen tarjosi tietoa myös muumion säilyneisyydestä. Pitkään kadoksissa olleen oikean kyynärvarren lisäksi kuusi kaulanikamaa puuttuivat. Pää ja torso näyttäisivät kuitenkin edelleen yhdistyvän toisiinsa niskassa, mikä tarkoittaisi molempien osien kuuluneen samalle yksilölle. Sekä kirkkoherran hammasterveys, että kynnen keratiinin isotooppianalyysit (δ15N, δ13C) indikoivat, että hänen ruokavalionsa lienee ollut raskas ja proteiinirikas. Rintarangan DISH-leesio tukee tätä päätelmää, joka sopii yhteen myös aiempien pohjoissuomalaista varhaisen uudenajan ruokavaliota koskevien tietojen kanssa. Ravinto hankittiin lähinnä metsästämällä, kalastamalla ja karjanhoidolla. Tulokset yhtenevät kirkkoherran sosiaalisen statuksen ja oletetun vaurauden kanssa: papisto kykeni tyypillisesti nauttimaan runsaasta ruokavaliosta. Jopa ylipainoon yhdistetty DISH on erityisen tyypillinen löydös nimenomaan luostarikaivauksien vainajissa. Stabiili-isotooppianalyysit paljastivat kirkkoherran typpiarvon merkittävästi muista pohjoissuomalaisista muumioista koostuvan verrokkiaineiston arvoja korkeammaksi. Ero selittynee ravinnon suuremmalla määrällä vesistöjen huippusaalistajien, kuten hylkeiden proteiinia. Toinen mahdollinen selitys voi liittyä kohonneiden typpiarvojen ja DISHin väliltä aiemmin löydettyyn yhteyteen.

From Chinchorro to Chiribaya: The Ancestors of the Chachapoya-Inca MallquisIn 1977 agricultural workers, turned into looters, found an intact funerary site in the cloud forest in northeastern Peru. A prompt archaeological rescue project permitted the recovery of an important collection of mummies and artifacts that are providing important insights about the archaeology of the Chachapoya people that established in this area around 900 A.D. up to the Inca conquest of this territory around the year 1475. The mummies recovered showed evidence of cultural practices devised and used to assure the preservation of the human bodies. Such practices are also reported among Chinchorro and Chiribaya mummies in the Andes. A cultural interpretation of these funerary activities is discussed connecting the practice of the cult to the ancestors to the access and management of resources and territory. / En 1997, unos peones descubrieron y huaquearon un cementerio intacto en el bosque nuboso del noreste del Perú. Un rápido proyecto de rescate arqueológico permitió la recuperación de una importante colección de momias y artefactos que están proporcionando importante información sobre la arqueología de los chachapoya. Este grupo se estableció en el área alrededor del 900 d.C. hasta la conquista inca de este territorio, que ocurrió alrededor del año 1475. Las momias recuperadas muestran evidencias de prácticas culturales diseñadas y empleadas para asegurar la conservación de los cuerpos. Prácticas similares se han reportado también entre las momias chinchorro y chiribaya en los Andes. En este artículo se discute una interpretación cultural de estas actividades funerarias relacionando la práctica del culto a los ancestros con el acceso y manejo de los recursos y del territorio.

The aim of the diploma thesis is to examine textile production in old Egypt based on textile findings from the Royal Necropolis in Abusir. In the first part the author deals with technology of production of this material. The main part of the thesis is the analysis of the new textile findings from Abusir, the textile-technological survey and their interpretation. Technological aspects, their evaluation and comparison with findings from other Egyptian sites are then discussed in a separate chapter. Due to the character of evidences, the author focuses on two periods: 3rd and 1st millennium BC. Finally, the various archaeological contexts in which the textiles in Abusir were found and the functions of this material were outlined. Keywords ancient Egypt, textiles, production, Old Kingdom, Third Intermediate Period, Late Period, archaeology, mummification

This paper deals with the chemical identification of artefacts correlated with the process of ancient Egyptian mummification dating to the Graeco-Roman period. The samples were harvested from two artefacts belonging to the Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities in Stockholm. The original description of the said samples defined them, as natron filled linen bags and bee product (honey?). To identify the true nature of the samples, advanced methods such as Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and powder X-ray Diffractometry were used. The results were correlated with previous made analyses regarding embalming materials to discover similarities. Furthermore, the research revealed that the previous sample identifications were false, while providing hypotheses based on the new results.