The English word "tattoo" (tattoo) is often thought to derive from the Polynesian "tatau" or "tatu", which means "to mark something".
In addition, this is also an onomatopoeia, simulating the sounds emitted by the tools used in the tattooing process. Although the word was only present in English (and other European languages) when introduced several hundred years ago by the inhabitants of Polynesia, tattoo has existed for much longer than before, and can be found. in many ancient cultures.
Ötzi .'s tattoo
The first known tattoos were on the bodies of dragon skull naturally preserved mummies commonly known as "The Stone Man Ötzi". This frozen mummy was discovered at the Italy-Austria border in 1991, dating back to about 5,200 years old.
Egyptian Tattoos
Another example of ancient people's use of tattoos can be found in the ancient Egyptian civilizations. The bodies and limbs of some figurines dating from around 4000 - 3500 BC are decorated with tattoos. In addition, some of the women depicted in the grave sites also show tattoos. The best evidence of tattoos in ancient Egypt comes from many mummified women around 2000 BC. Before the discovery of Ötzi, these were the first known tattoos on a real human body.
Ancient Chinese and Japanese tattoos
In some parts of the ancient world, tattoos functioned not as amulets but as a mark of shame and humiliation. For example, in ancient China and Japan, people who committed serious crimes were often tattooed on their faces.
According to Confucius, the body is considered a 3D printed zip hoodies gift from parents, so any mutilation of the body, including tattooing, is considered barbaric. Criminal tattoos are a life sentence, these offenders are pushed to the fringes of society for the rest of their lives with the tattoo.
Greek tattoo history
Tattoos were also used by some ancient societies to mark ownership. The Greek historian Herodotus, who wrote about the surrender of Thebans to the Persians at the Battle of Thermopylae, was tattooed with hot iron: "By order of king Xerxes, many of them, beginning with the stone commander Leontiadas, tattooed with the king's seal".