The History of Tattooing

Tattooing is one of the oldest forms of art. As far back as we have traces of human activity, we have indications that they have been tattooed.
The first tattoos probably were created by accident. Someone had a small wound, and rubbed it with a hand that was dirty with soot and ashes from the fire. Once the wound had healed, they saw that a mark stayed permanent. In time they learned to use it consciously and artistically.
Tattooing did not develop some specific place on Earth and spread from there. All communities and all societies has practiced tattooing in some form.
To want to have a tattoo, is a primeval human instinct. But everybody does not dare, or hasn't realized their needs yet.

The Bronze Age:
Several Danish museums have needles from the Bronze Age (about 2000 - 500 B.C.), that is supposed to have been used for tattooing. There is no proof, but the circumstances surrounding the finds are convincing the scientists that they have been thus used.

This is tattoo needles in the Vesthimmerland's Museum in Aars, Denmark.

A bronze age tattoo needle in Bornholm's Museum in Rønne, Denmark.

Inuit

All the people all around the Arctic has been tattooed.
This is a small figure carved out of a walrus tusk. It is about 2000 years old, and is enhanced with traditional tattoo designs.
It was very normal, especially for the women, to get tattooed lines down their chin. The lines around the eyes are also very normal.

In 1654 4 Eskimos were kidnapped from Nuuk and taken to Bergen in Norway where their portraits were painted. Later they were taken to Copenhagen,
and today this painting is one of the treasures in the National Museum in Copenhagen. This is the oldest surviving portrait of Inuit, and it is very obvious that both women were tattooed.

America

In the mythology around the Cowboys and Indians in the times of "The Wild West", the Indians' war paint plays an important role. There is no doubt that the Indians also used body paint, but I am also pretty sure that some of this war "paint" were actually tattoos.

Africa

In Africa, where people have dark skin, it is difficult to make a colourtattoo, like we know them. But they want to be tattooed anyway, so they have developed another technique - they make scarifications. This is not really tattooing, but it is related to tattooing, so I will treat them here anyway. I call it "tattooing for the blind", because they can be felt like Braille lettering.
Normally scarifications are made by lifting the skin a little, and making a cut with a knife or some other sharp thing. In the wound that occurs, is rubbed special sands or ashes that is known to make beautifully raised scars.

Europe

The tradition that we know best in Europe, is the so called "Sailor Tattoo". Motives like: Faith-hope-and-love, hearts, roses, sailor's grave, etc.

But tattooing in Europe dates much further back. Actually the oldest preserved human, a man who was found on the border between Austria and Italy - the Iceman - was tattooed (you can read a bit more about him under Ancient Times). That is of course no coincidence. People have always been tattooed in Europe.
It was rather normal for the crusaders in the middle ages to get a tattoo as a reminder of the events they participated in.The Picts in England were probably called just that because they were tattooed.
Tattooing in Europe has always been much more than the sailor tattoo. It is very likely that the Vikings were tattooed. At around year 1100 the Arab Ibn Fadlan described a meeting with some Vikings. He thought them very rude, dirty - and covered with pictures.