Within the Luigi Cattaneo Anatomical Wax Collection at the University of Bologna are also fragments of human tattooed skin dating back to the 19th century. Where do they come from? How were they made? And why are they there? An interdisciplinary team of scientists examined these odd artifacts, combining anatomy, chemistry, cultural heritage conservation, and anthropology, in search of fresh answers. "The analyzed fragments are an exceptional testimony to the evolution of tattooing from a popular and ritual practice to an artistic expression", says professor Stefano Ratti of the University of Bologna. Dating from the 19th century, the examined tattoos encompass a diverse range of subjects, including religious motifs such as votive offerings associated with pilgrimages to the Holy House of Loreto, as well as personal, romantic, and erotic themes: providing a distinctive insight into the material and symbolic culture of that era. During this period, the millennium-long history of tattooing encompasses a concealed and lesser-known chapter, associated with the theories propagated by Cesare Lombroso, a physician and anthropologist regarded as the founder of modern criminology. Tattoos, according to this now-debunked theory, were evidence of criminals' innate moral degradation. Fragments of tattooed human skin were therefore saved in museum collections devoted to criminology, natural history, and anatomy. The specimens held at the University of Bologna were rediscovered several years ago in a university storage area, with little information about their provenance. When MUDEC in Milan requested them on a loan for the exhibition "Tattoo. Stories from the Mediterranean", scholars seized the occasion to perform a comprehensive analysis. The researchers were able to reconstruct the origins of the inks that were used. The black ones were generated from carbon-rich soot, most likely produced by the combustion of plant material, whilst the brown ones include natural earth pigments such as iron and manganese. However, the red inks contained amounts of lead and mercury, implying the employment of cinnabar, a mineral pigment used since antiquity. The analysis also identified evidence of lime and zinc compounds, which were previously used by museums to treat and preserve anatomical specimens. However, evidence of fungal activity also emerged, indicating ongoing deterioration processes in the skin fragments. This knowledge enabled the artifacts to be carefully cleaned, stabilized, and reassembled, increasing the visibility of the tattoos while preserving their historical validity.