Brief History of the Tattoo
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.
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