If tattoos are prone to fading within a single human lifetime, imagine the wear-and-tear on the tattoos of 1,200-year-old mummies.

With a tool often used in the study of dinosaur fossils, scientists uncovered new details in ornate tattoos on the skin of members of the Chancay culture of Peru.

A new laser-based technique has revealed the intricate details of tattoos on centuries-old mummies in Peru, archaeologists report in a new study. However, not everyone is convinced that the new technique is better than existing methods for analyzing historical tattoos.

The intricate tattoos of animal forms and geometric shapes were revealed when researchers scanned the mummies with lasers.

Lasers are typically used to remove tattoos from the skin with mixed results. These tight beams of light can also reveal the ink that once decorated 1,200-year-old pieces of mummified skin. Using a newly developed laser technique,

These days, more than 30 percent of Americans sport tattoos—but there’s nothing new about our fascination with body art. As tattoos take over contemporary culture, scientists are looking to the past and uncovering the secrets of centuries-old ink.