History of tattoos

Author: Steve Gilbert (USA)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: This is a collection of essays on the subject of tattoos. The articles are not written in professional language but from the perspective of a layman, making the content accessible and the language easy to understand. It is suitable for a wide range of readers. This is a collection of essays that gathers historical documents on tattoos from the 17th century to the present day around the world. The authors include explorers, journalists, doctors, anthropologists, scholars, novelists, crime writers, and tattoo artists. Each author reflects the views of their time and place. Therefore, as judged by today's standards, some excerpts may appear arrogant, biased, or prejudiced. In October 1991, when a 5,000-year-old frozen tattooed man was discovered on a high mountain between Austria and Italy, he made headlines around the world. Obviously, he encountered a snowstorm while hunting and failed to return home. Along with the remains were clothes, a bow and arrow, a copper axe, and flint for starting fires. "I don't like to exaggerate things," said Konrad Spindler, a professor at Innsbruck University, "but this is the only Bronze Age corpse found in a glacier, and it is also the most complete one." The skin of the corpse is significant because it has several tattoos: a cross on the inner side of the left knee, six 15-centimeter-long straight lines above the kidneys, and countless parallel lines on the ankles. According to Spindler's statement, the positions of these tattoos suggest they may have been used for therapeutic purposes. (See Chapter 19.) Tools used for tattooing from the late Paleolithic era (between 10,000 and 38,000 BC) have been found at several archaeological sites in Europe. These tools typically consist of a pottery or ochre disc with a sharp bone needle inserted into a small hole at the top. The disc served as a reservoir and source of pigment, while the bone needle was used to pierce the skin. Small pottery and stone statues with carved patterns may have represented tattoos and were found together with these tools. Mummies with tattoos have also been discovered in many other parts of the world. The best-preserved mummy is that of Amunet, who was a priestess of the goddess Hathsor, the goddess of love in Thebes during the 11th Dynasty (2160–1994 BC). As the representative of all other goddesses in Egypt, Hathsor symbolized the cosmic mother who gave life to the earth. Temples and festivals were built and held throughout Egypt in her honor, the most important of which was the celebration of her birthday, a drunken carnival held at the New Year. Amunet's mummy is well-preserved, and her tattoos are clearly visible. Parallel lines are tattooed on her arms and thighs, and an elliptical pattern is present below her navel. According to Egyptian scholar Robert S. Bianchi, the tattoo "undeniably suggests sensuality." Small statues found in many Egyptian tombs bear similar decorative patterns to those found on Amunet and other mummies. Egyptologists believe these patterns symbolize fertility and rejuvenation. The small statues, called "the bride of the dead," were buried alongside male mummies and were said to awaken the deceased's libido, ensuring his rebirth. P005-006