Tattooing is an art form that has been around for a very long time. There are tattoos that represent culture, beliefs, or simply everyday life. Some of these tattoos hide mysteries to scientists.
Historically, it has been hypothesized that the first tattoo appeared on Earth by accident. Accordingly, one person was injured and used his hands covered with soot and ash to rub on the skin to make them heal quickly. As the wound heals, they see an indelible and permanent mark on the skin.
According to historical documents, Egypt is a country that st patricks day popularized the custom of tattooing to other countries around the world. Specifically, it made widespread waves in Crete, Greece, Persia, and Arabia. Then, the art of tattooing spread to Southeast Asia around 2000 BC. Next, the Inu (nomadic people living in West Asia) "spread" the art of tattooing to the Japanese people.
Many ancient mummies with tattoos are interesting evidence for scientists to study in more detail this art form.
1. Tattoo on the Iceman mummy Otzi
Otzi the Iceman is one of the ancient mummies dating back more than 5000 years and preserved in extremely good condition. There are more than 50 tattoos on the body of the mummy.
Through research, scientists say, Otzi ice people suffered from many joint diseases and tattoos may be a way to reduce and heal diseases. Some typical tattoos on Otzi mummy are a cross on the left knee, 6 lines 15 cm long above the kidney, parallel lines on the ankle...
2. Smoked mummies in the Philippines
The Philippines is one of the countries known for a series of hundreds of years old mummies buried in caves dotted around the villages.
The tattoos of mummies are usually done on the hands and feet. The higher the position of the tattoo, the higher the social status of the owner.
3. Tattoos of the Ibaloi headhunters
Scientists believe that the first mummies were from the people of the Ibaloi tribe. Mummification is done as soon as a person dies. Embalming was popular in the 1500s when the Spanish colonized the Philippines.
The tattoos are done mainly on the chest and back with many intricate motifs such as geometric shapes, images of predators... On the battlefield, when a person sees an enemy with impressive tattoos, they will automatically withdrew because it was considered a bad omen.
4. Maori tribe face tattoo design
For the Maori, the tattoo known as "Tā moko" is a rite of passage to mark adulthood. The more tattoos a person has, the higher his social status.
5. Tattoos on the hands of people of the Peruvian highlands
These swirl patterns belong to the Moche culture in Peru. Scientists believe that this mummy was both a farmer and a fighter. This tribe also fought against the invasion of the ancient Inca empire.
6. Princess Altai's mummy and puzzling tattoos
In 1993, a mummy of a woman more than 2,500 years old was unearthed in the Ukok Plateau, in the Altai Mountains region of the Altai Republic, close to Mongolia and China. The tattoo on the body of this tattoo inspired clothing thousand-year-old mummy remains open: it depicts a sacred animal of the Pazyryks: a two-headed deer with a vulture's beak, a sheep's leg, on its back bitten by a long-tailed leopard. .
Some theories suggest that this tattoo represents the social status of the girl and records myths.
7. The mythical beast tattoo of the ancient king
Tattoos of mythical characters are shown on the hands of a king who lived in the 5th century BC. This king once ruled and lived in some steppes of present-day Russia.