Skip to main content

© 2026

Donate

Play Live Radio

Next Up:

0:00

0:00

0:00 0:00

Available On Air Stations

The Best of Our Knowledge

The Best Of Our Knowledge

Ancient tattoos and dinosaur dung

By Lucas Willard

Published February 17, 2025 at 3:00 PM EST

Tattoos from the pre-Columbian Chancay culture of coastal Peru. (A) Tattoo “scales” on the forearm of mummified human remains under white light. (B) LSF image of A exposing additional fine detail in the tattoo artwork. Inset showing fine line details. (C) Infrared image of A reveals less detail than LSF image in B. (D) “Vine” tattoo on top of the hand of another mummified individual under white light. (E) LSF image of D revealing fine line details. (F) Finger tattoo of a third individual under white light. (G) LSF image of F reveals additional fine lines throughout design. (H) White light image of an amorphous animal tattoo on the chest of a fourth individual. (I) LSF image of H shows no more detail, with amorphous patches and poorly defined edges suggesting a lower quality tattoo than in A, D or F. (Scale bar, 1 cm.)

A team of researchers uses lasers to unveil tattoos on ancient Peruvian mummies.

And modern 3D imaging technology is being used to uncover dinosaurs’ diets and how they changed hundreds of millions of years ago.

Tags

The Best Of Our Knowledge Ancient Tattoos Dinosaur dung

Lucas Willard

Lucas Willard is the Executive Producer of WAMC's Northeast Notebook. After joining the station in 2011, Lucas has held several titles at WAMC, including Berkshire Bureau Chief, Southern Adirondack Bureau Chief, and Assistant News Director.

See stories by Lucas Willard

Related Content

The Best of Our Knowledge

Sea ice and classroom tech

Lucas Willard

Sea ice in the Southern Ocean is melting, leading to increased ocean heat loss and stronger storms. We’ll speak with a climate scientist to learn more.And New York’s largest teachers’ union is backing a proposal to ban cell phones in classrooms across the state.
The Best of Our Knowledge

Free community college and extended reality

Lucas Willard

New York’s governor has proposed free community college for adults retraining for careers in high-demand fields. We’ll speak with the chancellor of the state’s public college and university system about the idea.A new lab at Western New England University is dedicated to studying “extended reality.”And Marist College has officially rebranded as Marist University
The Best of Our Knowledge

A warming Earth and Martian water

Lucas Willard

2024 was the hottest year on record. We’ll speak with a NASA climate scientist to learn more.And a new study suggests evidence of water reserves deep underground on Mars.
The Best of Our Knowledge

Stellar superflares and David Lynch

Lucas Willard

According to new research, stars similar to our own sun may produce superflares about once per century.And after the death of American filmmaker David Lynch, we’ll speak with a film studies professor about how Lynch’s films impacted him and his students.