World's earliest figural tattoos discovered on Gebelein mummies

Newly discovered marks push back evidence for tattooing in Africa by a millennium

A wild bull, a Barbary sheep and S-shaped motifs discovered on two mummies in the British Museum have been revealed as the world's earliest known figural tattoos.

Researchers say the discoveries on two naturally mummified bodies that date from between 3351 and 3017BC mean they will have to rewrite the story of tattooing.