Tattoos in ancient cultures

The English word "tattoo" (tattoo) is often thought to originate from "tatau" or "tatu" of Polynesian people, meaning "marking something".

In addition, this is a onomatopoeia, simulating the sounds emanating from the tools used in the tattooing process. Although the word is only available in English (and other European languages) when the inhabitants of Polynesia brought several hundred years ago, tattoo existed much longer than before, and can be found in many ancient cultures.

Ötzi's tattoo

The first known tattoos were located on the bodies of naturally preserved mummies often called "Ötzi Stone". This frozen mummy was discovered in the border area of ​​Italy - Austria in 1991, dating to about 5,200 years old.

A cross tattoo on Ötzi's knee (left).Researchers took samples from the 2014 hip-hop's hips (right).(Photo: Samadelli Marco / EURAC).

There are about 57 different tattoos on mummies, including dots, small crosses, and straight lines. The distribution of tattoos seems random, some dots and crosses are below the waist, some are straight above the kidneys, and some are parallel lines on the mummy's ankles.

Ötzi's tattoo may have had a therapeutic function because of the areas where tattoos were found to correspond to degenerative areas. One hypothesis was that an ancient healer made an incision on the skin in the sore area, covered the wound with a medicinal material, and then burned it with a heated metal device. As a result , coal chemotherapy penetrates into the tattoo scars. This is a treatment for rheumatic pain that has been used for many centuries by Berbers in northern Africa.

Egyptian tattoo

Another example of the use of ancient people's tattoos can be found in ancient Egyptian civilizations. The body and limbs of some small statues dating back to about 4000 - 3500 BC are decorated with tattoos.

In addition, some women painted in grave quarters also showed tattoos. The best evidence of tattoos in ancient Egypt was from many mummies of women around 2000 BC. Before the discovery of Ötzi, these were the first tattoos known on real bodies.

Mummy in the British Museum.(Photo: Acient Origins).

Tattoos on these mummies can be found on their abdomen, thighs and chests, so some scholars argue that tattoos are a sign of prostitutes. Others believe that tattoos are meant to protect women from sexually transmitted diseases. In addition, tattoos can be considered as a form of protection during pregnancy and death in women. Scientists found small tattoos on the thighs of Bes, the god of pregnant women.

Ancient Chinese and Japanese tattoos

In some places in the ancient world, tattoos do not function as talismans but are traces of shame and humiliation. For example, in ancient China and Japan, felons often have tattoos on their faces.

According to Confucius, the body is considered as a gift from parents, so any mutilation of the body, including tattooing, is considered barbaric. Crime tattooing is a life sentence, these offenders are pushed to the edge of society for the rest of their lives with that tattoo.

The back of a tattoo person.(Photo: Public Domain).

Greek tattoo history

Tattoos are also used by some ancient societies to mark ownership. Greek historian Herodotus wrote about the surrender of the Thebes people in the Battle of Thermopylae, as follows: "Following King Xerxes' orders, many of them, start with commander Leontiadas, was tattooed with the king's seal. "