Sunday, June 15, 2008

History of the Tattoo

Look around and you will see plenty of people in today’s society (especially, those 30 and younger) sporting works of art on their skin. Tattoo art has come a long way and their negative connotation has pretty much diminished. For those fascinated by this art form, it should be noted that tattoos are not a form of art that began recently.

It might be very interesting to know just how old the act of tattooing oneself is. In fact, one of the most startling discoveries of the now infamous Iceman in 1991, was that he had many tattoos on his skin. Carbon dating at the time put his age at about 5,200 years, making his tattoo art the oldest known in history.

Before this time, it was thought that the Egyptians started this art form from about 3,500 to 4,000 BC. While in recent decades and century’s men were the ones that would display their tattoos proudly, in Egypt tattoos were for females only. Tattoo art has been found on mummified female bodies in Egypt. However, this practice was usually limited to a certain class of women since these mummified remains were found in only elite burial grounds.

Tattoo art has a fascinating history and for those looking to learn much more, Smithsonian Magazine has a wonderful article regarding the history of tattoos. For more insight and interesting facts, visit us today at the following link: http://www.smithsonianmag.com

forbidden city, tattoo art, Wrigley Field, daredevil

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