The Beginning
Tattoos have been dated back thousands and thoudsands of years.The oldest evidence of tattoos has been found on people dating back to 2100 BC. The oldest preserved European human mummy was Otzi the iceman, he was discovered back in September 1991. After doing some research on his body, researchers discovered that he had a total of 61 differnt tattoos across differnt parts of his body; however, most of them were located upon his legs.
What made them do it?
Since we know that tattoos have been dated back to ancient civilizations, we need to understand the reasons on why some people had them and others didn't. Different parts of the world all had different reasons to get or give tattoos. Some places would do it as punishment where others would give their citizens/soldiers tattoos for certain accomplishments. According to research tattoos did not really become widely accepted until the 20th century. Before this era they were looked down upon and people who had them were looked at differently. Different cultures were against tattoos and they believed if someone got one then they were destroying their bodies by violating the body that they were given.
- China & Asia - Tattoos around this part of the world were heavily stigmatized. People believed that the only people who had tattoos were bandits or criminals, along with heroes from stories that were passed down.
- Egypt - Some research indicates that tattoos found on the mummies were more for decorative purposes; however, they were found more on women. Tattoos were also believed to have been performed as a medical treatment.
- Samoa - It is believed that the word "tattoo" was orginiated from Samoan culture from their version of the word "tatau". They are iconic for their tribal style of tattooing which plays an intricate part in their culture. Their style of tattooing is done by using a handmade tool and the tradition gets passed down from father to son. Their tattoos celebrate dedication to the culture and "great endurance".