The Ancient History of Tattooing Across the World

The art of tattooing one’s skin is an ancient tradition that dates back to at least the Neolithic times (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). We know this because we have seen mummified, preserved skin, as well as ancient art. The oldest documented tattoo was found on Ötzi the Iceman, which dated between 3370 and 3100 BCE. Ötzi the Iceman was discovered with a total of 61 tattoos on his skin. One of the most ancient, commonly practiced forms of tattooing was done by the Austronesian people, where they would use a tool involving points, and a mallet (known as hand-tapping), which is still practiced today in certain cultures.

The History of Tattooing in The Americas

For many ancient cultures, tattooing was not similar to how tattoos are perceived today– oftentimes, the act of tattooing was a process that highlighted cultural connections to the Indigenous ways of the world, as well as connections to family, society, and location. The oldest-known tattoo found in North America was from a mummified female, an Inuk, on St. Lawrence Island in Alaska. Scientists were able to determine that this tattooed female came from the 16th century. During the time when explorers were traveling throughout North America for the first time, tattoos were known as “pounce, list, mark, raze, and prick”– not tattoos. The folks who were practicing tattooing back then in St. Lawrence would use bones as tattoo needles.

The History of Tattooing in China

In China, there are several tattooed mummies that date between 2100 and 550 BCE– however, in ancient China, tattoos were often considered a barbaric practice, which was associated with the Yue people of southern China. Although, it was common practice to use tattoos in a more straightforward way. Prisoners would often have the Chinese character for the word “prisoner” tattooed on their faces.

Tattooing History in Japan

Japan also has a rich, cultural history of tattooing– mostly for decorative, or spiritual purposes. There are actually Chinese texts that are dated prior to 300 CE that describe the differences between Chinese people and Japanese people, and focus on tattooing as one of the major differences. Like the Chinese tattooing their prisoners, during the early 17th century in Japan, criminals were also marked with tattoos– usually symbols including crosses, double lines, circles, and lines on various parts of the body. Often, the symbol would determine the place where the chrome was committed.

Tattooing During The 19th and 20th Centuries

Since the invention of the electric tattoo machine in the late 1880s, the popularity of tattooing has steadily increased. The first electric tattoo machine patent was obtained on December 8th, 1891, but electric tattoo machines were used fairly prevalently before this date. In the United States, the first documented professional tattooer was Martin Hildebrant, who was in the US Navy during the 1840s, where he learned how to tattoo. He opened a tattoo shop in New York City in the early 1870s. During this time, tattoos were very common with circus folk, and by 1936, 1 in 10 Americans had a tattoo of some form. Since the 1970s, tattoos have become extraordinarily mainstream among both sexes, and all age groups.

Tattooing has an extremely rich history, and this article just scratches the surface. If you’re interested in more of this type of content, make sure to check the American Vintage Tattoo blog! We’ll be publishing various articles related to tattooing history, how to choose a tattoo artist, what makes a good shop, and more.