Tattoos have been around for a long time now and are definitely a hotter topic than they’ve ever been. They are becoming increasingly popular among all walks of life, especially now that the society is not too restrictive and judgmental toward people who have tattoos. Years ago, you seldom saw women and celebrities with tattoos and those who sport them are considered thugs and bad guys. Fortunately, we broke free from those stereotypes for the most part and tattoos are something that can be acquired by anybody who wants them without too much risk of being judged.

Nobody can really pinpoint when and where skin art started; it seems that it has been around ever since time began. The methods, techniques and designs evolved,  but the concept of tattooing has been around for ages. In fact, a mummy known as Oetzi was found in 1991 sporting a tattoo consisting of lines. The mummy has an estimated age of at least 5300 years old. Due to the location of his markings, researchers suspected that they were used for medicinal purposes, the same concept used for acupuncture where needles are used to alleviate joint aches and pains. Aside from Oetzi, there have been other discoveries of mummies with tattoos. Tattoos back when then they were used to mark tribes, symbolize social status, as well as decorative purposes.

Of all cultures, it was the Egyptians who have the most extensive tradition that supports tattooing and even ancient Egyptian women had them. Their designs are more intricate and complex which consist of lines and dots in various parts of the body. They were thought to be ritual markings that every one had to undergo.

Tattoos also found their way into the circus arena. People who attended the circus found it interesting to see circus performers flaunting their collected skin art from all over the world. Some of the most popular performers are best known for the tattoos they have added over the years and it is impossible to forget the ones with full body tattoos.

If you study the history close enough, you will find pictures of ancient personalities who proudly show their tattoos; men and women alike. They are usually representations of important things such as status and tradition.