来源：Live Science
作者：Mindy Weisberger, SeniorWriter
时间：2016年5月9日
翻译：Sarah
校对：Sai
链接：http://www.livescience.com/54687-egyptian-mummy-tattoos.html
木乃伊颈部发现的纹身包含有数个荷鲁斯之眼的图像【1】。此符号与神圣及保护有关。（拍摄者：Ann Austin）
3000多年前，一位埃及女性在身上纹下了许多符号，包括盛开的莲花、奶牛还有神圣之眼，这些也许与她的宗教地位及仪式经历有关。
在她木乃伊化的身躯上，那些幸存的图像保留着令人惊叹的细节，并成为了目前埃及木乃伊纹身中仅有的一例可辨识图像而非抽象设计的标本。
这具木乃伊发现于尼罗河西岸台地上的Deirel-Medina遗址——这是一个公元前1550到公元前1080的村庄。这个村庄中曾居住着那些在帝王谷建造王墓的工匠和工人们。
斯坦福大学的生物考古学家AnneAustin在为法国东方考古研究所检测Deirel-Medina遗址中的人类遗存时第一次注意到了木乃伊脖子上不同寻常的记号。
Austin通过邮件告诉“科学现场”（LiveScience），她最初认为脖子上的记号是绘制上去的。在当时的埃及，葬礼前在脖子周围放置护身符是很常见的，所以她认为，这具木乃伊也可能是为了葬礼将护身符绘制在皮肤上。
但是对这具木乃伊更深入的研究则揭示了这具木乃伊颈部以及躯体上古老图案与以往发现的不同，它们可能是一种更为持久的皮肤装饰，而非绘制的图案。
手臂上两牛相对的纹身图案。（拍摄者：AnnAustin）
“当我们去分析手臂上的记号时，我们意识到这些图案有所收缩和扭曲，它们一定是在躯体木乃伊化之前就存在了。”
Austin与Deirel-Medina遗址的领队考古学家CédricGobeil（法国考古事务所）合作，将几十个纹身图案分类记录。虽然很多图案尚未被辨识，但也有一些已被辨识出来并认为其具有宗教意义。
Austin告诉“科学现场”，有些图案，例如戴着特殊项链的牛，与爱神哈索尔有关,而另一些，例如被放在上臂的蛇也与古埃及女神有关。
埃及考古学家GhadaDarwish正运用红外线与传感器去观察可见光中无法看到的纹身。（拍摄者：AnnAustin）
颈部的荷鲁斯之眼也许也有着另一个层次的意义：在荷鲁斯图案之间出现的附加符号是代表着美善的耐法尔符号（Nefer Symbol）【2】。
而在Deirel-Bahri遗址附近出现的荷鲁斯之眼与耐法尔的组合是被解读为“行善”的固定表达语句。
Austin解释道，符号的位置恰处于这个女性的喉头上，或许这正是一种象征——每当她说话或唱歌，她就会唤起一种仪式力量去做好事。
这些第一次发现于埃及木乃伊身上的含有深意的纹身图案，将为我们了解古埃及文化中纹身的重要性和符号特性提供了重要的线索。
她补充道：“很有趣的是，目前鉴别出的所有纹身都在女性身上，我们很好奇当发现更多的纹身时这个规律还是否成立。”
注释：
【1】在古埃及语中，荷鲁斯之眼称为“华狄特”（Wedjat，又作瓦吉特、沃婕特），此读法和古埃及眼镜蛇女神华狄特相同，因为这个符号最早是代表沃婕特的眼睛，意味着沃婕特无所不见，能察知世间万物的神圣之眼，后来这颗神圣之眼成为了鹰头神荷鲁斯的右眼。
【2】一种古埃及乐器，被视为吉他的前身。
原文
EgyptianMummy's Symbolic Tattoos Are 1st of Their Kind
Fig1.Tattoos found at themummy's neck show several Wadjet eyes — a sign associated with the divine andwith protection. Credit: Ann Austin
Morethan 3,000 years ago, an ancient Egyptian woman tattooed her body with dozensof symbols — including lotus blossoms, cows and divine eyes — that may havebeen linked to her religious status or her ritual practice.
Preservedin amazing detail on her mummified torso, the surviving images represent theonly known examples of tattoos found on Egyptian mummies showing recognizablepictures, rather than abstract designs.
Themummy was found at a site on the west bank of the Nile River known as Deirel-Medina, a village dating to between 1550 B.C. and 1080 B.C. that housedartisans and workers who built the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings.
StanfordUniversity bioarchaeologist Anne Austin was examining human remains at Deirel-Medina for the French Institute of Oriental Archaeology when she firstglimpsed unusual markings on a mummy's neck.
Austininitially thought the markings on the neck had been painted there, she toldLive Science in an email. According to Austin, it was a common practice inEgypt at that time to place amulets around the neck before a burial. Shesuggested that amulets could have been drawn on the skin for the burial aswell, which could have been the case for this torso.
Butfurther investigation of the mummy revealed that these ancient illustrations —and others on the body — were unusual, hinting that they might be a morepermanent skin adornment than a painted design, she said.
Fig2.Tattoos of two cows facingeach other found on the arm. Credit: Ann Austin
'Aswe started to analyze the markings on the arms, we realized that these markingswere shrunken and distorted,' Austin said. 'Therefore, they must havebeen made prior to mummification.'
Togetherwith archaeologist Cédric Gobeil, director of the French Archaeological Missionof Deir el-Medina, Austin cataloged dozens of tattoos, many of which have yetto be identified. But a number of them were recognizable and had religioussignificance.
'Severalare associated with the goddess Hathor, such as cows withspecial necklaces,' Austin told Live Science. 'Others — such assnakes placed on the upper arms — are also associated with female deities inancient Egypt.'
Fig3.Ghada Darwish, anEgyptian archaeologist, using infrared light and a sensor to see tattoos otherwisehidden in visible light. Credit: Ann Austin
TheWadjet eyes on the neck may have carried yet another layer of meaning:Additional images known as nefer symbols, 'the sign of beauty orgoodness,' appeared between them, Austin said.
'Atthe nearby site of Deir el-Bahri, the combination ofthe Wadjet and nefer have been interpreted as a formula for the phrase 'to dogood,'' Austin said.
Thesefigural tattooed images — the first of their kind found on an Egyptian mummy —provide important clues about the significance and symbolic nature of tattooingwithin ancient Egyptian culture, Austin said.
'Interestingly,all of the tattoos found so far have been exclusively on women, though we are curiousto see if that trend continues as more tattoos are identified,' she added.
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