A Journey Down the History of Tattoos

Before tracing the timeline of the practice of tattooing that extends more than 5,000 years in the past, it may interest you to know that the word tattoo has been derived from two words – the word 'ta' that has a Polynesian origin and the word 'tatau' that is a Tahitian word. While the former is used to mean striking something, the latter connotes the act of marking something. Earliest Evidence of TattoosThe earliest known evidence of tattooing has been found on the mummified remains of "Цtzi the Iceman", who was carbon dated to be around 5,200 years old, placing him in the Bronze Age that is more or less 3300 BC. He bears 57 tattoos on his body that range from the sign of a cross on his left knee to some straight lines above the kidney and on his ankles. The placement of the tattoos indicates that they may have been applied for therapeutic reasons including treatment of arthritis. These tattoos were created by inserting colored pigments under the surface of the skin. Before the discovery of "Цtzi the Iceman" in 1991, the most primitive form of this body art was found on the bodies of mummies of people belonging to the pazyryk culture, which were excavated from the altai mountains of western and southern Siberia. These 2,400 years old mummies bore tattoos of several animals on their bodies that may have been believed to have supernatural powers. In addition to that, their bodies bore several decorative tattoos as well that archeologists believe to be marks of status symbol. The earliest evidence of tattooing in the Egyptian culture dates back to 2,200 BC. Simple dots and dashes were tattooed on the bodies of females, particularly those associated with ritualistic practices to form interesting designs. It is believed that Egyptians propagated the art of tattooing around the world and by 2,000 BC this body art had traveled to the Southeast Asia from where it was taken to Japan by the Western Asian nomads known as Ainu. From there it slowly traveled to China, Polynesia, New Zealand, Indonesia, India, Africa, Greece and Rome. Find out more about Dragon Tattoo and Psychedelic Star Tattoo.Use of TattoosThus, tattoos were used for various purposes ranging from therapeutic treatments to status symbols, amulets, signs of religious belief and simple or elaborate body adornments. Since this body art involved bearing pain, losing some blood and use of fire, those belonging to primitive cultures associated the entire process with a sacrificial ritual that would please the Gods and seek his blessings for a long and fertile life. It was also used to delineate hierarchy within tribes with every individual bearing a tattoo signifying his or her role in the clan. In many tribes, it is still used as a rite of passage with adolescents getting their first tattoo – usually totem tattoos - to signify their coming of age. To Sum UpIt is conjectured by many archeologists that the history of tattooing may be as old as mankind itself, though solid evidence about the same is yet to be found on the body of any prehistoric mummy.