Exciting news just came out of academic publications this past week, ones that impact all fans and aficionados of First Dynasty era Egypt.
Two mummies, one female and another male, were found buried in the Egyptian desert showing distinct tattoos using recognizable patterns known from artwork of those times.
In my research before and during the writing of my First Dynasty Trilogy (The First Pharaoh, The Dagger of Isis and Qa’a), I never came across any references to tattooing. So this is an exciting find and one I may wrap into future storytelling about Ancient Egypt.
But what does this all mean? What significance do the tattoos represent? Were the mummies of royal origin? The plain fact is we do not know, at least not yet. But a few facts are clear. The mummies were buried directly in sand, in the traditional pre-natal position. The bodies were very well preserved due to the dry desert environment. Don’t forget, this was probably around the pre-Dynastic period, far pre-dating elaborate burial rites. So, we can only stay tuned for more details as they emerge. I’ll report on developments as they occur.