For thousands of years, humans have inscribed their bodies with symbols — to signal identity and status, to beautify, to express devotion, to protect and heal. We call these adornments tattoos, from the word tatau, meaning “to strike” in some Polynesian languages. While the practice is particularly dramatic and impressive there, people have pigmented their skin for one reason or another in just about every known culture.
At several Paleolithic sites throughout Europe, archaeologists have uncovered bone needles and other instruments that may have been used for tattooing tens of thousands of years ago, according to Steve Gilbert in The Tattoo History Source Book. Well-preserved skin is scarce, however, so no one can say for sure when our ancestors began modifying their bodies.
For a while, the oldest definitive evidence came from ancient Egypt, where several female mummies dated to the early Middle Kingdom displayed what were likely fertility symbols. ...
