Researchers discovered a tattoo referencing Jesus Christ on a 1,300-year-old body at a medieval archaeological site in Sudan, according to an October announcement.
The tattoo was discovered by doctoral researcher Kari A. Guilbault of Purdue University, who was using the Polish Center of Mediterranean Archaeology’s (PCMA) bioarchaeology lab at the University of Warsaw to study the medieval monastic site of Ghazali, Sudan, according to an Oct. 18 statement from the school. Guilbault had been working at Cemetery 1, studying the human remains contained across the archaeological site, when she noticed something on the foot of one of the bodies.
#ChiRo ‘Christ’ tattoo discovered on 1,300-year-old body in Sudan, Part of Region Known as Nubia https://t.co/KMQlFLtI4x
— Nicola (@namenzie) October 22, 2023
Guilbault saw markings that referenced a Christogram and the Greek letters for “alpha” and “omega,” which together are a monogram abbreviation for the name of Jesus Christ. The discovery marks the second time ever that tattooing has been seen in medieval Nubia, now modern-day Sudan, according to the press release, and poses so many questions about the culture and practices of the people who once lived there. The individual likely lived between 667 and 774, radiocarbon dating shows, according to LiveScience.
“It was quite a surprise to all of a sudden see what appeared to be a tattoo when I was working with the Ghazali collection. At first, I was not certain, but when the images were processed and the tattoo was clearly visible, any initial uncertainties were removed,” Guilbault said of the discovery. (RELATED: Everyone Needs To Watch And Then Do A ‘Jesus Revolution’)
The location of the tattoo is where Christ may have had the nail driven through his foot during his crucifixion, Guilbault and PCMA bioarchaeologist Robert Stark told LiveScience. But it remains unclear whether this person was a monk, a local or something else altogether.