Jason Crishon
Tattooing has a long history through all different
cultures. About 6000 years ago 57 tattoos was found by
Oetzi, the Tyrolean mummy also known as the
“Iceman”. He’s frozen body was found well preserved
in the Similaun Glacier of the Alps in 1991. According to
the Journal of Archaeological Science, he’s tattoos
were done with soot that contain glittering and colorful
precious stone crystals. From my research I believe the
tattoo’s was associated with acupuncture treatments
for chronic ailments suffered by the Iceman. But
however, the process of doing this tattoo they used
some sharp objects, such as thorns, and dipped it into
soot then pierced the skin or made scars and put the
soot inside of the wound and let it heal so the color
could stay there.
In west Africa undergo scaring or cicatrisation as
a form of tribal initiation and bravery. The scarring
begins for males at puberty and leads to there
adulthood. Scarification is done by lifting the skin a
little, making a cut with a sharp tool such as a razor
blade, thorn, or anything with a sharp edge, and sand
or ash in rubbed into the cut to make the raised scar
patterns on the body. For African women,
scarification is most often associated with fertility.
Scars are added at puberty, after the birth of the first
child, or following the end of breastfeeding, highlight
the bravery of women in enduring the pain of
childbirth. Scars on other areas of the body such as
hips and buttocks, accentuate the erotic and sensual
aspects of the female body.
 3300B.C.-
Otzi’s skin bears 57 tattoos.
 2160B.C.- Tattoos were common in ancient
Egypt.
 1000B.C.-
The art of “henna” tattooing
began to spread.
 700B.C.- Romans and Greeks would tattoo
slaves.
 600B.C.- Effect tattoos had on Christianity
and Islam.
 300B.C.-
Tattoos in Japan have negative
meaning.
 306B.C.- Emperor Constantine ban tattoos
due to Christianity.
 1600- Tattoos as an art began to grow in
Japan.
 1766- James Cook makes reference to the
word “tattoo”.
 1800-
Sailors and soldier popularize tattoos
while an increase of tattoos popularize in
Europe during the 19th century.
 1850- Circus brings out tattoos.
 1668- Modern Meji Japanese make tattoos
illegal.
 1870- First American tattoo shops opens and
British tattoo artists opens a studio.
 1876- Link between tattoos and French
prisoner is made.
 1891- O’Reilly invents the first tattoo
machine and become famous.
 1939-
Jews were branded with tattoos
during the Holocaust.
 1945- Japanese identify tattooing with the
Yakuza Mafia.
 1950- Hippie movement bears tattoos.
 1961- New York outlawed tattoos after the
Hepatitis outbreak.
 2006- Oklahoma becomes last state to
legalize tattoos.