A lot of people don’t know it, but tattoos have been around for many years. In fact, they have been found dating back to more than four thousand years ago. This article is going to discuss the history of tattoo, and how those tattoos go on to evolve into kanji tattoos and other kinds eventually..

Earliest Known Tattoos
For many years, people thought that the first tattoos were the ones that were discovered on women mummies that were dated back to c. 2000 B.C. But back in 1991, tattoos were found on the Iceman that was discovered on the border of Austria and Italy. He has been carbon dated to be aged at approximately 5.200. This age is given by a research fellow, Joann Fletcher, who works in the archeology in Britain. She works at the University of York.

Purpose of Tattoos
Joann Fletcher states she thinks that the tattoos that have been discovered on the Egyptian women were supposed to keep the woman safe during their pregnancy and labor. Where the tattoos were placed, on the woman’s abdomen, on her breasts, and on the woman’s thigh tops, seem to say that the tattoo custom was only for women.

Tattooers
Even though Joann Fletcher says that there isn’t a written account of who performed the tattooing, she believes that the tattooing was done by older women on the younger women.

Tattooing Instruments
An archaeologist by the name of W. M. F. Petrie found a wooden handle that had a sharp point, dating back to 3000 B.C. at Abydos’ site. It is believed that this instrument could have been used for the purpose of tattooing. Additionally, he discovered a group of instruments made of bronze on another site. These dated back to 1450 B. C. and these items were considered to be put together in order to create a more uniform group of dots on a person’s body.

Tattoo Patterns
The patterns on the mummies usually had some dotted patterns that created diamonds and lines, even though some of them had images that were more natural.

Tattoo Colors
The colors that were used in the earlier tattoos were usually darker colors or black pigments.
It’s pretty amazing how much the tattoo has changed in the thousands of years since it first appeared on the body. From those dark dots that were used to create lines and diamonds the tattoo has become colorful and gone into many shapes. Instead of helping to protect women during pregnancy and childbirth, they have gone on to make a statement for the person who is getting the tattoo. Whether someone gets a regular tattoo or one of the kanji tattoos, they are making a statement.

When someone gets a tattoo, they don’t often think about the long history that tattoos have and the different kinds of tattoos, kanji tattoos for instance. They don’t realize that they are more than pictures that are put on the body to signify something. They are something that has been around for a long time and there is no sign of them going away anytime soon.

So if you choose to get a tattoo, whether it’s to show your girlfriend your affection, to show how tough you are, or for another reason, remember that you are a part of a long and proud tradition. What kind of tattoo is right for you? Is it kanji tattoos, or something else? Only you know!