Pictish Fighters: Tattoos, Valor, and Victory against Romans and Vikings
The Picts are one of the most mysterious peoples in history. Scientists have determined the origins of the warriors who stood against the Romans and Vikings.
The Picts inhabited the lands of present-day Scotland, in ancient times known as Caledonia, from approximately the 1st to the 10th century AD. They also settled on islands in the region, such as the Orkneys. Due to their tattoos, they were called the “painted people.” They spoke Pictish, a language derived from Celtic languages. They were described as short, bearded men of sturdy build. In the south, they bordered with the Britons, with whom they partially intermixed.
Historians have long been intrigued by the origins of the Picts. Until recently, their origins were attributed to distant sources. Among the most likely regions mentioned were the northern coast of the Aegean Sea and Eastern Europe. However, it is now known that this is not true.
Where did the come from?
An international team of scientists examined eight human skeletons buried in two Pictish cemeteries at Lundin Links and Balintore. The authors of an article published in the scientific journal “PLOS Genetics” extracted genomes from the remains to determine the extent to which the Picts were related to other…
