The Start Of Tattoos

Tattoos have existed for thousands of years and throughout the years, humans have decorated their bodies to serve as different purposes. If you review the history of tattoos, you will see how they varied throughout different eras. Tattoos have served as tribal identity, amulets, brands and body art.
The first tattoo was formed accidentally during the prehistoric times. How it was discovered was when individuals would rub a wound with a dirty hand of soot that came from a fire pit or clay. Once the idea of tattooing was discovered and better understood, the tattoos became more refined. Archaeologists have been able to locate bone needles and neolithic clay discs. These instruments were used to decorate an individual who lived in circa 3300 BC. His name is Otzi or "Otzi the Iceman" and he was discovered in a mountain between Italy and Austria. Otzi the Iceman body is covered with 57 tattoos.
Tattoos were very common in ancient societies. Female Egyptian mummies that date back to c. 2000 B.C. are shown to have tattoos on their bodies. At first, the belief was these females were dancing girls. However, greater time spent examining funeral inscriptions show that at least one of these girls was a priestess of high standing. In ancient China, tattoos were also common with the tribes that relocated in the islands of the Pacific and those who settled in Japan.
Then there is the time of pre-Christian Europe where Celtic and Germanic tribes were very fond of tattooing. In Roman reports, they were described as "pictus" which translates to "painted ones". This is how the Celtic clan, the Picts received their name. The Germanic and Celtic tribes were heavily tattooed and the Romans began to appreciate the art. As the Romans would come back to the empire, they will return with new permanent body art. But when Christianity began to spread, tattoos were banned by the Emperor Constantine. He believed that tattoos were a disfigurement of God's image.
When Constantine banned tattoos, they disappeared from all of Europe for almost 1500 years. However, in 1769, James Cook brought back the art of tattooing to Europe. He discovered tattoos when he made an expedition to Tahiti. The modern word tattoo comes from the Tahitian word "tatau" and it refers to the islander's technique of striking. It was the seamen and sailors that brought tattooing back to Europe and during those times these individuals were seen as deviants. Anyone who had a tattoo was immediately viewed upon as a social outcasts and/or a criminal for many generations.
Just like anything else, tattoos begin to receive acceptance in society. People began to tolerate tattoos and before long, they became mainstream. In the second half of the 20th century, tattoos were fully accepted in mainstream culture.
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So, if you've decided to invest in a tattoo and need help deciding on what you want, you can easily browse through the articles to see what you'd like before visiting the massive database of thousands of awe inspiring designs and find the perfect one for you. You can also find a professional tattoo artist through the tattoo parlor locator. Print out your design, find your tattoo artist and you're good to go.