Anthropologists believe that humans have been tattooing themselves for thousands of years, since at least 3250 B.C., says Marilyn Scallan in the article, “Ancient Ink: Iceman Otzi has Worlds Oldest Tattoos.” The first record of a tattooed human is Otzi, also known as the iceman (Scallan). According to Scallan, he was found buried along the border between Austria and Italy, in the possession of 61 tattoos. The article, “Looking at the World’s Tattoos” by the Smithsonian Magazine, writes that the art of tattooing has been practiced throughout the entire world at some time, from the native Americans, to Japan, India, New Guinea, and Europe. For over 2000 years, the many tribes and people living in Polynesia have had tattooing as an important cultural …show more content…
“The Cultural History of Tattoos,” tells of Chinese records that show Japanese males having tattoos since the third century. In the mid-nineteenth century, colonization broke a barrier that had been keeping Japan separate from the rest of the world (“The”). After this barrier broke, the art of tattooing was shunned and viewed as something bad. It is astounding how an art form was able to become so ingrained in a culture that it still exists hundreds of years later, even after attempts to remove it. There is some debate on whether tattoos may have been used as a form of punishment and torture in Japan (“The”). Though this may have been the case, it is not today. All cultures have history that are aren’t proud of, because they are human and people make mistakes. This doesn’t mean that change is impossible though. People can learn from mistakes and, in this case, eventually accept body modification. An example of this is woodblock printing, an art that originated in Japan. Woodblock prints weren't always viewed as art and were seen as different from the typical standards, but today they and their influence is seen in most art museums and galleries (“The”). Woodblock printing and tattooing have a deeply connected history. They serve as inspiration and competition for each other (“The”). This example shows how people and society change and over time are capable of accepting things that are