The History of
Tattoos
Tattoos are a hot topic today. People get tattoos for
many reasons. Millions of styles have been applied and
continue to be created. But tattoos aren't a new
thing. They've been around for ages.
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 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 Japan, tattoos were first used on clay figures.
These human shaped figures represented a deceased individual
and were found in the tombs of the person they resembled.
The tattoos were carved or painted on the faces of the
figures. It is thought that these markings have religious
or magical significance. The figures have been found in
tombs that have been dated from 3,000 BC.
Japan's first documented tattoo is from 297 AD and has been
shown to be for decorative purposes only. Tattoo artists were
known as the "Horis" in Japan. The Horis were acknowledged as
masters and eventually created the full body suit tattoo.
Many years later, 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.
Tattoos have been found in history all over the world.
They have been determined to be a representation of a variety
of things such as social status, religion and many times just
for decoration. Found on men and women alike, tattoos are
discovered in every shape, size and color pattern
imaginable. Whether they've been found to be something
that was once held sacred or they're for decoration only,
tattoos have been around for ages and will continue to be
around for ages to come.
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