Were Ötzi the iceman's tattoos an early form of 'acupuncture'?

Tattoos are traditionally used to decorate the skin, but now archaeologists believe skin etchings discovered on a 5,000-year-old mummy could have been intended as therapy.

The marks found on Ötzi the iceman reveal that tattoos could have been used as a primitive form of acupuncture.

The iceman's tattoos are largely seen on the parts of his body that endured wear-and-tear, causing archaeologists to liken the practice of tattooing to acupuncture, which is itself an ancient treatment for joint distress.

Ötzi's body art is the only known example of real-life ancient tattoos and reveal how the marks were made in Copper Age Europe.

Writing in the publication Archaeology, U.S. experts Jarrett A. Lobell and Eric A. Powell said Ötzi's body, which was almost perfectly preserved in ice, provides unique evidence of early medicine for archaeologists.

They said Ötzi got his 50 tattoos - most of which are lines and crosses - by enduring a series of small incisions in his skin, which were then rubbed with charcoal to make the marks.

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Actualización 31-10-13. ¿Los tatuajes de Ötzi fueron una especie de "acupuntura" rudimentaria?