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The tattoo has been around for
thousands of years. The word tattoo comes from the Tahitian word
'tattau', which means to strike or hit. Tattoos have been used
as status symbols, amulets, religious symbols, decoration, and
punishment. The earliest tattoos were found on female mummies
in Egypt. The mummies were believed to be from approximately
2000 B.C. However, there is evidence that women had tattoos even
earlier from figurines that were believed to be made around 4000
B.C.
It appears that primarily
women received tattoos in ancient Egypt. It was first believed
that women with tattoos were of low status. However, these female
mummies were found in an area where the elite and royalty were
buried. It is possible that the designs were meant to be amulets
during pregnancy and birth. For the most part, the tattoos are
concentrated on the abdomen, thighs, and breasts. The deity Bes
was often tattooed on women's thighs. Bes was considered to be
the protector of women during labor and birth.
Archaeologists discovered a sharp point that was
set in a wooden handle in Egypt that is believed to have been
used to make tattoos around 3000 B.C. Bronze instruments from
1450 B.C. that are thought to have been used as tattooing tools
were also found. These tools were very similar to tattooing tools
that were used in the 19th century. |
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In
Egypt, a tattoo was primarily made of dotted patterns that consisted
of diamond shapes and lines and, as mentioned above, small figures
of the god Bes. In order to make the dots typically a dark pigment,
such as ash or soot, was placed in the pricked skin. While Egyptian
tattoos were usually dark, other cultures, such as the Inuit,
used lighter colors along with darker pigments.
There are many other early cultures that used tattoos.
The people of the Altai Mountain region marked their skin with
ornate tribal tattoos. A male body was found in the ice in 1948.
His arms, legs, and body were covered with tattoos of animals.
In 1993, a woman's body was found in a tomb in the Altai Mountains.
She had a tattoo of a mythical animal on her shoulders and more
tattoos on her wrists and thumb. It is believed that the tattoo
was a mark of nobility. The culture of early Britain also used
tattoos as a mark of status and royalty.
Among the Romans and Greeks, the tattoo was used
mostly to mark someone as part of a religious sect or to part
someone as a criminal. The use of tattoos spread through the
Roman Empire until Christianity began to emerge. Tattoos were
then considered a pagan practice that disfigured the body and
were banned by Emperor Constantine.
Some
Native American cultures, such as the Cree, used tattoos to mark
their faces with delicate and detailed patterns. The Japanese
began tattooing their skin with intricate designs at the end
of the 3rd century. Polynesian cultures also used elaborate tattoos
that featured geometric designs that often covered the entire
body.
The Maori culture of
New Zealand used elaborate facial tattoos to mark individuals
of high status. Each design was unique to that individual and
represented specific information, such as rank and skills that
have been mastered. Warriors were given their tattoo in stages
in order to correspond with various stages in their lives.
Modern tattoos are amazing works
of art that use many different colors and span all cultures.
The tattoo artists of Samoa create their tattoos as they did
in ancient times, without modern equipment. Many modern African
cultures also use tattoos, from the facial tattoos of the Wodabe
to the fine dotted marks used by the Berber in Algeria.
Although the tattoo is used in
many different cultures, for the most part, their use seems to
have begun independently in each. Both ancient and modern cultures
use tattoos for therapy, protection, fashion, to mark people
from different groups or religions, or simply a form of self
expression. |
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Author: |
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Andy West is a writer for Bullseye
Tattoos, providing great online resources for those interested
in tattoo
designs. Visit them at BullseyeTatoos.com for more information |
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Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ |
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Article Posted: November 4, 2009 |
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