Archaeological study documents rare Christian tattoo in medieval Nubia

Recently, a team of researchers published their study on a medieval Nubian tattoo in Antiquity. The researchers conducted a post-excavation analysis on individuals who had been interred at the Ghazali Monastery Cemetery (Sudan). One of these individuals was found to have a tattoo, making him only the second ever identified case of a tattooed medieval Nubian.

The research team included Ph.D. candidate Kari A. Guilbault, Dr. Robert J. Stark, and Dr. Artur Obłuski.

The Ghazali Monastery Cemetery is located in the Bayuda Desert of northern Sudan. First established around AD 680, it remained in use until around the year 1275. The monastery consisted of a church and communal living quarters and was built near iron smelting facilities, a settlement, and four cemeteries. These cemeteries included Cemetery 1, which was used for ad sanctos burials (interments near areas of religious importance); Cemetery 2, which was intended for burials of the monastic community; and Cemetery 3, which served as the final resting place for lay individuals. The use of Cemetery 4, however, remains unclear.

It was within Cemetery 1 that the tattooed individual (Ghz-1-002) was recovered. The individual was likely male and died at age 35–50. Based on radiocarbon dating, he likely died around AD 667-774.

His body had been semi-mummified, a result of the natural climate, explains Guilbault: “Generally, skeletal preservation tends to be good in the region due to the arid desert climate. However, soft tissue preservation is limited. While aspects of Ghz-1-002, the tattooed individual, were naturally mummified, the remains are mostly skeletonized. Essentially, purposeful mummification or preservation did not occur. Both feet of Ghz-1-002 are the exception, with the right foot inscribed with the tattoo.”

During post-excavation analysis, a dark discoloration of the foot was noted. Using full-spectrum image analysis and DStretch technology (image enhancing software), the team identified a small tattoo approximately 16 x 26 mm.

The tattoo consisted of three signs: a Christogram (made up of the Greek letters rho (P) and chi (X)), an alpha (A); and an omega (either Ω or ω) sign.

According to Guilbault, the tattoo was representative of the Christian faith, and even its location on the foot may have signified a link to pilgrimage.

“The tattoo symbols have long been representative of the Christian faith. The Roman emperor Constantine introduced the chi rho symbol, which was incorporated into the military standard. The alpha and omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, respectively, symbolic of Christ as the beginning and end, encompassing everything. Graffiti representations of feet were widely used in the Nile Valley region and throughout antiquity to denote pilgrimage to sacred sites,” stated Guilbault.

Due to its design, which meant it would only appear upright to the bearer, its small size, and its location, the tattoo likely served as a private sign of devotion meant for the bearer’s viewing only.

Tattoos have a long history in Nubia; however, this tattoo is only the second ever instance from this time and place, explained Guilbault.

“The history of tattooing in the Nile Valley is quite long, so it is not that tattooing was new or novel in the medieval period of Nubia. The early tattooed individuals were mostly female and had dot/dash geometric designs and botanical motifs. In general, tattooing has been found on the arms, torso, and legs. However, an individual found in Egypt has tattooing on her neck. One other individual buried in Sudanese Nubia was reported to have tattoos on the foot. That individual is dated to the C-group period (ca. 2400–1550 BCE).

“The only other current known tattoo from the region and time is also religious in nature. A monogram of St. Michael was found on a female’s thigh during research on mummified individuals at the British Museum.”

Ghz-1-002 was possibly a particularly religiously devout individual and was hence interred in Cemetery 1 (meant for ad sanctos burials). This is further supported by the positioning of the cemetery in relation to other sites such as the monastery (a site of religious importance) and Cemetery 3 (where individuals of the settlement were buried). The combination of the religious tattoo and this strategic burial placement makes it highly likely that Ghz-1-002 was a particularly devout member of the local community who wished to be interred ad sanctos.

The discovery of this tattoo is a rare and significant archaeological discovery that provides unique insights into medieval Christian practices in the region at that time.

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