BRIEF HISTORY OF TATTOOS
Tattoos (the English word comes from the Tahitian word “Tatu”) have always had an important role in ritual and tradition. In fact, tattoos have been practiced all over the planet since at least Neolithic times.
A clear evidence that prehistoric people knew and practiced tattooing are tools that were discovered in many different countries. These tools are at least 12,000 years old and were undoubtedly used for tattooing. At this moment, the oldest discovery of tattooed human skin is found on the body of Ötzi the Iceman, who dates back to between 3370 and 3100 Before Christ. Other tattooed mummies have been recovered from many different archaeological sites including Alaska, Siberia, Germany, Portugal, France and ancient Egypt. Therefore, we can say that tattoos were known around the world in very early human history.
In recorded history, the earliest tattoos can be found in Egypt during the time of the construction of the great pyramids. When the Egyptians expanded their empire, the art of tattooing spread as well. The civilizations of Crete, Greece, Persia, and Arabia picked up and expanded the art form. Around 2000 BC tattooing spread to China. In fact, Marco Polo wrote of Quanzhou the following: “Many come hither from Upper India to have their bodies painted with the needle”.
The Greeks and the Romans used tattoos to mark criminals and slaves. This practice of showing a person’s status is still done nowadays. The Ainu people of western Asia still use tattooing to show social status.
The Ainu introduced the tattooing in Japan where it developed into a religious rite and in Borneo where only women could be the tattooist.
William Dampier, a explorer who travelled the South Seas, is considered the person who introduced tattoos in England. After one of his trips, he came back home (London)with a tattooed Polynesian which soon became known as the Painted Prince. He was put on exhibition to earn some money. But many people went to see him just to admire that tattooed skin.... and they loved it!!!
At the end of the eighteenth century (between 1766 and 1779), Captain James Cook made three voyages to the South Pacific. He was the person who introduced the word "tattoo" into English language. Every time they returned home they told tales of the “tattooed savages” they had seen. They even brought home a heavily tattooed Polynesian called Omai.
One of the members of his crew, Sir Joseph Banks, returned to England with a tattoo. Banks was a highly regarded member of the English aristocracy. Soon, the upper-class began to get small tattoos in discreet places.
As the tattooing became cheaper it again was seen as a mark of a lower class. It stayed like that until 1960s and the hippie movement when it slowly became the acceptable form of self-expression we know nowadays.
At this moment, tattooing is more popular and accepted than it has ever been. All classes of people seek the best tattoo artists. This rise in popularity has placed tattoists in the category of "fine artist"
