History of Tattoo: From the First Tattoo to the Present

The most critical link in the evolution of humanity, in which it differs from other living things, is the stage of development of abstract thinking abilities. Since this period, people have tended to understand, explain and express themselves. This is the language that has provided its evolution and also your art. Later, these efforts to understand and express became more complex, and religions, languages, art, etc. took different forms.

Man's efforts to understand the world and express himself were determined according to the age, region and conditions, thus different cultures emerged. However, as in all different cultures, the common means of expression of humanity have always been the same, albeit in different forms. One of them was language, and the other was art and its branches.

What year was the tattoo invented?

Decorating or painting the human body has a history beyond estimation. Tattoo has meant many different stages and meanings for humanity until it became an aesthetic expression as we know it today.

Sometimes they intervened in their bodies to frighten their prey, enemies or rivals, and sometimes because they believed that it prevented diseases from entering the body. Tattoos used to exclude bad people from society in some cultures may have been one of the symbols of the nobility in another society.

We witness in history studies that people's tattoos are used for different purposes. Tattoos, which could be the symbol or totem of the tribe in primitive tribes, became a property document showing who owned the slaves in empires like Rome. While it is used as a medal of heroism in warrior societies, it has found a place for itself as talismans believed to be magical in some societies.

In today's society, tattoo, which has become universal with its body decoration function, has sometimes become a means of expression of sub-identities and sometimes an instrument of the fashion industry.

Sometimes piercings, sometimes famous zulu necklaces, sometimes tattoos have been one of the interventions of the human body. Although its purpose and meanings correspond to different meanings in different cultures, we know that it is one of the oldest forms of expression of humanity.

The world-famous anthropologist Claude Levi Strauss, who lived between 1908 and 2009, talked about the tattoos of the Maori Indians and said, “Tattoo is not just to embroider a picture on the body; to engrave all the traditions and philosophy of the group.” he draws attention to the cultural dimension.

According to the discoveries made by scientists, the oldest tattoo find dating back to 8000 BC.

In what year was the first tattoo in history made? Or the story of Ötzi the Iceman

In 1991, two German tourists hiking in the Alps climbed the summit. On the way back to the summit, they arrive at a stream bed, out of the familiar paths, in search of a shorter route. A black spot on the creek bed where the ice is melting draws their attention. When they look closely, they think they've found a corpse and report it to the police. The police, who think that it is one of the mountaineers who disappeared in the Alps or one of the soldiers who lost their lives in the 2nd world war, send the body to the forensic medicine for examination. But things change after that. Scientists realize that they are dealing with a very old historical personality in the first researches. As a result of the measurements made, it turns out that a 5300-year-old European was encountered. This human being found during scientific studies is called Ötzi. According to research, Ötzi, who was a 45-year-old man, was 50 kilograms and 165 cm tall when he died. The most striking aspect for us is Ötzi's tattoos. During the examinations, 57 tattoos were found on different parts of Ötzi's body. These tattoos, which were thought to be made by rubbing the wounds with coal after thin cuts were made on the skin, were thought to have been made for religious or ornamental purposes. However, as a result of detailed examinations, it was revealed that he had a bone resorption disease and was applied to painful areas where the disease was concentrated. Scientists think that this practice is similar to today's acupuncture treatment to reduce bone pain.

As we can see from the first tattooed Ötzi, tattoos have been made and continue to be made for different purposes throughout history. Tattooed mummies that lived in Peru, Egypt and Far Asia, dating to almost the same dates, were found. Vases containing tattoo materials and forged human figures can also provide different sources regarding the history of tattooing.

 

The evolution of tattooing from ancient times to the present

The decorations on the bodies and faces of the goddess figurines found in the settlements of the Cucuteni-Trypillian culture dating back to 5400 BC during the excavations made in Ukraine in 1896 reflect the tattoo tradition of the period. With religious and mystical use, tattoos are also encountered in the ancient Egyptian civilization. The tattoos we encounter in all of the pharaoh mummies have shown us how old this culture is. In ancient Egypt, tattoos were used for treatment, religious ritual, and adornment, as well as for stigmatizing slaves and criminals. Tattooing, which has its roots in the British Isles dating back to the Early Iron Age, which began around 800-600 BC, found serious use. The word tattoo, which is widely used among peoples living in Scotland, Wales and England, is also related to the root of the word Britain. In the language of the Picts living in Scotland today, the word “Brethon” meaning “to be painted colorfully” and the Briton words they gave to tattooed tools, the word “British” was established after the Roman occupation. The blue paints and tattoos that we will remember from the scenes in Braveheart, the famous freedom movie starring Mel Gibson, about the history of the peoples of England, show us the effect of tattooing in this geography. Tattoos, which were seen to be used as a sign of criminals and property marks on slaves in Ancient Greece and later the Roman Empire, were used as a symbol of nobility and nobility in the Asian continent at the same time.

tattoo history in Turkey

It is known that "tattoo" was widely used as a symbol of nobility in ancient Turkish or Eastern societies such as Hun, Kazakh and Kyrgyz. It was a common custom for noble and heroic people to have their faces and bodies "tattooed". Although the effect of the post-Islamic Turkish culture was broken, the famous tattooed characters of the Janissaries are described in detail in all the books.

The history of tattooing for the geography of Turkey is as old as the Hittite and Sumerian cultures. The effects of henna and different tattoos made for the mother goddess and fertility gods in the Hittite culture continued for long historical periods. Traditional tattoos, which are widely used in Southern and Eastern Anatolia regions with the influence of Sumerians, still continue to live in different ethnic cultures living in Turkey. For example, the tattoo tradition called "Deq" in Kurdish still lives on in rural areas. There are many studies on the deq tattoo culture, which greets the popular culture of Turkey with the character of Siti Ana played by Demet Akbağ in the movie Vizontele.

The famous physician Amidenus Aetius, who lived in Byzantium Diyarbakir, is known as the author of the oldest book written on the tattoo technique. Aetius wrote in detail the preparation processes of the materials to be used in tattooing and the technique of applying to the skin in his work titled “Medicae Artis Principes”.

In a 2005 National Geographic article by researcher writer Yaşar Çoruhlu, a passage from the book Aetius is quoted as follows: “A bit of pine wood (especially its bark), a pinch of corroded bronze, a little gall, and of course, olive oil (can be black paint instead) mixed and sieved. On the other hand, a different mixture is prepared by grinding the corroded bronze with vinegar. Then, putting these two mixtures together, adding a little leek juice and a little water, it is mixed.” “First, the place to be tattooed is washed with leek juice, then a pattern is drawn on the skin by piercing with needles until blood comes out, and then the above mixture, namely 'ink', is injected.”

The first tattoo in Turkey

The dating of the first tattoo for the geography of Turkey has not been recorded yet. However, historically, the Hittite tattoo marks in Alacahöyük excavations are a reflection of this. It is known that non-settled nomads and pagan societies also used tattoos extensively.

Traditional tattoos continued to be made in the local and rural areas in the history of the modern Republic. Tattoo culture, which has always existed among sailors in Istanbul, in the Roman community, during military service of up to 4 years and in prisons, has stepped into the mainstream as it has become an instrument of the fashion industry in the modern world.

modern day tattoos

In the world cultural environment that was reshaped after the Second World War, tattooing started to be an art and a form of expression, especially in western societies. In the USA, young masses, triggered by movements such as the peace movement against the Vietnam occupation and the anti-racist Black Panthers, began to express themselves in alternative ways. Tattoos used by conservative groups as a lumpen expression tool in the USA have started to become symbols of an alternative culture and the quest for freedom.
Along with modern art in Europe, tattoo art continued to develop with different inspirations and inspirations. The fact that people who are the symbols of popular culture were presented with their tattoos accelerated the adoption of tattoos by large masses. When we come to today, we are faced with a world of tattoos determined by tattoo artists who have artistic concerns. Trends, styles and techniques are chasing each other.

Professionalized tattooing has evolved into a complicated industry with paint, cosmetics and devices. We don't know yet whether there will be electronic tattoos in the future of the tattoo that has managed to protect itself from tradition to the future, but the tattoo will continue to exist as long as human culture lives.