The examination of tattooing practices across ancient cultures — using the Ice Maiden and other preserved mummies as the primary evidence — has produced a growing literature on the social, artistic, and ritual significance of tattooing in the ancient world.

For steppe nomad archaeology generally: The Ice Maiden’s discovery helped establish permafrost-preserved Scythian/Pazyryk burials as one of the richest sources of archaeological evidence for the ancient steppe world.

The organic preservation — textiles, wood, leather, foodstuffs — that permafrost provides gives a picture of these cultures that no other preservation environment can match.

For the ethics of archaeological practice: The controversies surrounding the Ice Maiden’s removal and the subsequent demand for her return contributed to ongoing discussions about the responsibilities of archaeologists toward indigenous communities.

Her case is now regularly cited in discussions of repatriation, consultation, and the ethics of excavating burial grounds.