What the big deal with Tribal Tattoos?
Tattoos have been used as symbols of self-expression or belonging since the dawn of humanity. The first tattoos were applied with sharp sticks that were dipped into ashes and forced under the skin. Once the wound healed over, a permanent mark remained. Thousands of years ago, tattoos were used for a variety of reasons. The term “tribal tattoo” commonly refers to the type of tattoo we see today that harkens back to a time when tattoos were black marks used to describe belonging to a group or to certain occurrences, such as the hunt for real or mythological creatures or the relationship between humankind and the elements, the sun or the moon. Religious, magical or spiritual beliefs were often expressed through tattoos as well. The oldest tattooed body that has been found to date is that of a Bronze Age man who lived and died over 5,000 years ago. He was found frozen in a glacier in Italy. On close examination, researchers found that his body was covered with intricate tattoos of mythical
