Tattoos in Ancient Times
According to mummified bodies discovered by archaeologists, tattoos date all the way back to 3370 B.C. Over time, tattoos meant different things in different countries of the world.
In ancient China, it was common for bandits and criminals to have tattoos. In ancient Egypt, tattoos were used as medical treatments. In Somoa, tattoos were common during ancient times. They were put on using a turtle shell and boars teeth. They were a sign of leadership and took weeks to complete. Tattoos were very painful to get and there was obvious risk of infection. In ancient Greece and Rome, tattoos were used to brand slaves and mark criminals.
Tattoos in America-The 1900s
In the 1910’s, it was mostly sailors and those in the circus that had tattoos. The tattoos symbolized the length of the sailors journey. In the 1920’s, women commonly got permanent eyebrow tattoos. This was often kept a secret from society.
In the 1930’s, people had to memorize their social security numbers. It was common for them to get that number tattooed on themselves (not the brightest of ideas in my opinion). In the 1940s, nautical and military tattoos became common to represent patriotism during World War II.
The bad boys were primarily the ones getting tattoos in the 1950’s. In the 1960’s, there was an outbreak of hepatitis in New York causing the average person to stay away from tattoos during this time. However, celebrities were still getting tattoos. Patriotic tattoos were no longer common due to the war in Vietnam that many were protesting.
The 1970’s was the decade that tattoos became normalized. They became a way for the everyday person to express themselves. In the 1980’s, rock and roll’s popularity caused many people to get rebellious tattoos. The rock and roll scene resulted in a surge in tattoos among your average person. The 1990’s were the time for small upper arm tattoos. It was also a time for getting chinese symbols tattooed on oneself.
Tattoos in the 2000’s
In the early 2000’s, lower back tattoos were common. Butterfly and yin and yang symbols were popular during this time. Currently, in the 2010’s, finger tattoos have been all the rage. The infinity sign is one of the most popular tattoos. Armpit tattoos are the newest trend.
With tattoos becoming more common, there is still some controversy as to whether or not tattoos are acceptable in this day and age. Some Christians refer to this line of the Bible in Leviticus 19:28 “You shall not make any cutting in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the Lord.”
I personally have a campfire tattoo on my right shoulder. This is a personal tattoo that symbolizes my family (I grew up camping) and also my astrological sign is a fire sign. I also plan on getting another tattoo on my other shoulder in honor of my father who passed in November.
I personally think that tattoos are a great expression of one’s self. I like when people get tattoos that mean something to them. I got mine on my shoulder so that I can cover it if needed for job interviews. I think that tattoos should be thought out and considered before actually getting them but that everyone has the right of self expression.
Some questions to consider:
Are tattoos acceptable in the workplace?
Should people be able to get whatever tattoos they desire?
Should Christians be referring to the Bible when considering whether not to get a tattoo?
Thank you for reading! For more information on tattoos please head to the website links below:
http://time.com/4645964/tattoo-history/
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