History of Tattoos

Tattoos are not new. They have been around for ages and have become very popular over the years, while stereotypes and the stigma associated with tattoos are fading out of the world. No one can really say when the history of tattoos began.

The oldest known tattoo was discovered in 1991. It was found on a mummy known as Oetzi, an Iceman dated to be at least 5300 years old. His tattoos consist of horizontal and vertical lines. There is some debate as to why the tattoos are there.

The most common idea is that the tattoos were done for medicinal purposes. Oetzi’s fifty-seven tattoos are located over various joints on the body. The thought is that the tattoos were made while a form of acupuncture was administered to relieve painful joints. Today, the same sites are used for acupuncture. Other ideas range from social status and ritual markings to tribal marks or simple preference.

Prior to finding Oetzi, the Russians excavated bodies that were determined to be over 2400 years of age. These mummies were found in the Altai Mountains of Siberia. Instead of lines, their tattoos are in the form of animals both real and imaginary. Many of these tattoos are thought to be decorative only while others appear to be a symbol of status rank.

The Egyptians have one of the most well known cultures for tattoos. Dating back to 2100 BC, discovered mummies have been found to be covered in various tattoos. Women flaunted tattoo designs that were restricted to women only. These tattoo designs were mostly a series of lines and dots around the body. Tattoos among the Egyptians are thought to have been forms of ritual markings.

In other time-periods, tattoos also served specific purposes. Going the furthest back in American history, many Native American tribes utilized the practice of tattoos; it was primarily for the purpose of showing one’s connection to one’s specific tribe. For the Polynesians, tattooing was a method of relating family history; each individual person had his own individual tattoos to show the story of his family. Some of the earliest explorers on the American continent have been said to have acquired this practice from the Polynesians’ forms of tattoos.

In New Zealand, the Maori would treat the body like a piece of wood in order to make their world-famous moko design tattoos. Using a small bone-cutting tool, they would carve intricate shallow grooves on the face and buttocks, and infuse them with color. This colorful tattoo art form has been practiced for over a thousand years, and has withstood time and colonization. It was used as a form of identification with regards to rank,genealogy, tribal history, eligibility to marry, beauty and virility. Moko designs were finely chiseled into the skin. Maori women were traditionally only allowed to be tattooed on their lips, around the chin, and sometimes the nostrils. A woman with full blue lips was seen as very beautiful.

Most of the early uses of tattoos were ornamental. However, a number of civilizations had practical applications for this craft. The Goths, a tribe of Germanic barbarians famous for pillaging Roman settlements, used tattoos to brand their slaves. Romans also tattooed slaves and criminals. Slaves with tattoos could never become citizens, even if they were able to buy their freedom. This was because a tattoo was seen as degrading to the bearer. In essence, the tattoos were permanent marks of guilt. Eventually those tattooed out of punishment started to be proud of their markings.

Although Oriental symbols are quite popular for tattoos in America, it is not widely known that both the Japanese and Chinese cultures have held a strong opposition to the practice of tattooing throughout history. With both societal and religious viewpoints agreeing that tattooing is something which should not be done, it is still considered to be a means of contaminating one’s body.

In Europe, tattoos were reserved for those of high social standing, and were not available to average people. Tattoos were only available to those who were wealthy, important, and usually in some high position of government or royalty. Sweden’s King Oscar had tattoos; so did England’s King George the fifth. In that era, tattoos were a status symbol.

Although early Europeans dabbled with tattooing, they truly rediscovered the art form when they explored new cultures in the South Pacific. It was a familiarity with the tattoos of Polynesian and American Indian tribes that introduced tattoos to the modern Europe. The word Tattoo, in fact, is derived from the Samoan word tattau,which means, “to mark.”

In recent past, tattoos were made widely popular by the circus. Acts are performed by people completely covered in tattoos. Individuals are renowned simply for their number of tattoos. Patrons of the circus are enamored by the extravagant and colorful tattoos of circus performers resulting in an increased number of tattoos across the world.

History of Tattoos

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