Tattoo Art; An Ancient Art Form

For those that are now getting tattoo art on their bodies, it seems like the trendy and fashionable thing to do. However, many that have tattoos wonder where did this art form come about and how old is it? For those that are curious about tattoo art, it should be noted that tattoos are an extremely old art form which dates back thousands of years. While sailors, pirates, Pacific Natives and tribal leaders are all commonly associated with tattoo art, it was theorized that this art form started with the ancient Egyptians.Tattoo Art and Ancient EgyptiansTattoo art for a long period of time was thought to have originated with the Ancient Egyptians. When archeologists and researchers first dug out the incredible treasures of this civilization it was found that a lot of wall paintings and many mummified bodies included tattoos. While not butterflies, skulls or the names of loved ones, the tattoo art that was found on the body of ancient Egyptians were black dots that created a web of sorts. These dots were not found on everyone, in fact they were only found on women and women of certain castes. In addition, these dots were only found around the abdomen, thighs and pelvic area of the body. With this initial find, it was believed that these tattoos were meant as a sort of scarlet letter where a woman that had these dots may have been prostitutes. However, with further research it is now believed that these tattoo dots were meant for protection of the mother and ultimately the fetus in the womb.An Incredible Discovery Occurs in 1991For a long period of time it was believed and there was plenty of evidence to suggest that the ancient Egyptians originated tattoo art, however an incredible discovery in 1991 turned this theory on its head. In 1991, in the Alps of Europe, the iceman was found. The Iceman who was dated back to about 3300 B.C. was found with tattoo art. Incredible as this seems, it is now known for sure that tattoos are one of the earliest forms of art and worn for a wide variety of reasons.For more interesting information about the origins of tattoo art, the Smithsonian Magazine has an exciting article on the subject. To read it, please visit our main website.