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Tuesday, February 5, 2013

History of Tattoos - Ancient Ink

Tattoos are a passionate topic today. People get tattoos for many reasons. Millions of variations have been applied and continue to be fashioned. But tattoos aren't a new craze. The history of tattoos is a novel, not a short story, and they've been here for a long time.

Oetzi The Iceman

Nobody can truly state just when the history of tattoos began. The most ancient recognized tattoo was exposed in 1991. It was found on a mummy named Oetzi, an Iceman dated to be not less than 5300 years old. His tattoos are comprised of horizontal and vertical lines. There is a certain amount of dispute as to the reason the tattoos are there.

Since discovering the remains, researchers have been able to do little but guess that this most primeval form of tattoo was for the purpose of fending off evil spirits, or that it might have been a certain type of rite-of-passage. The most widespread view is that the tattoos were designed for medicinal purposes.

Oetzi's fifty-seven tattoos are positioned on various joints of the body. The notion is that the tattoos were created as a type of acupuncture was applied to relieve tender joints. In the present day, the same locations are used for acupuncture. Additional ideas vary from social standing and ritual markings to ethnic inscription or just preference.