Stone tools discovered in Mayan cave might have been used for tattooing

 

Mayan tattooing burins

Researchers have uncovered two burins, cutting tools used for engraving, from Actun Uayazaba Kab cave in Belize. The cave is a notable Mayan archaeological site. Besides skeletons, items unearthed from the cave include ceramics and stoneware.

Among the Mayans, stone burins were used for multiple activities including blood letting and drilling hard materials such as shells and bones. However, the wear analysis suggested that the burins were not used for that purpose. Additionally, traces of black residue were observed on the burins. Researchers suggested that the black traces might be left-over ink and the burins might have been used for tattooing.

To prove this hypothesis, replica burin was produced and used to tattoo pig skin. The replica had similar wear to the unearthed burins, strengthening the hypothesis.

If the hypothesis is true, the burins would be the first discovered Mayan tattooing tools.

The research was published in Journal of Archaeological Sciences.

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