In the past three decades, body piercing and tattooing have become increasingly popular among Americans from all walks of life and of all ages. For example, Kathryn, a seventy five year old woman, recently decided to get a tattoo while vacationing in Hawaii. She picked a small rose because it symbolizes her hometown of Portland, Oregon, known as the “City of Roses.” Kathryn had the rose tattooed on her ankle.

Just fifty years ago, most Americans would have considered Kathryn’s act an unconventional activity practiced only by rebels such as prisoners and bikers. However, today many people accept tattooing and piercing as fashionable ways to decorate the body. Most of Kathryn’s friends complimented her on her tattoo. “When I got back home,” she said, “everybody at my retirement complex thought it was absolutely fantastic! Except for one person; she thought it was just horrible.”

Although tattooing and body piercing may seem like recent trends, the practice of getting permanent body art actually dates back to prehistoric times. Tattooed mummies have been found all over the world, from central Asia to western Europe. The oldest tattooed mummy was discovered in the Otztaler Alps between Austria and Italy and is estimated to be fifty-three hundred years old. This mummy had a tattooed band of stripes on his lower back, a cross behind his left knee, and more stripes on his ankle. Prehistoric people practiced tattooing by puncturing the skin with crude tools dipped in pigment.

Evidence also shows that people pierced their bodies thousands of years ago. Archaeologists discovered a five thousand year old female figurine from Iran with multiple ear piercings. Another piece of evidence was found in Cyprus. There, archaeologists discovered a pair of gold earrings more than twenty-two hundred years old.

People all over the world practiced tattooing and body piercing. Tattooing was a common practice among tribes in the Pacific Islands. For example, the Maori of New Zealand decorated their faces with tattoos, and Samoan men tattooed areas from their waist to just below the knees. In other regions, such as Africa and Central America, piercing become more popular. To decorate their bodies, tribes such as the Dogon of Mali and the Nuba of Ethiopia practiced lip piercing. The ancient Aztec and Maya of Central America pierced their tongues.