Ancient Ink: The Archaeology of Tattooing (McLellan Endowed Series xx)

The desire to alter and adorn the human body is universal. While specific forms of body decoration and the motivations for them vary according to region, culture, and era, all human societies have engaged in practices designed to enhance people's natural appearance. One of the most widespread types of body art, tattooing, appears on human mummies by 3200 BCE and was practiced by ancient cultures throughout the world. Ancient Ink , the first book dedicated to the archaeological study of tattooing, presents new research examining tattooed human remains, tattoo tools, and art. Examples include Predynastic Egyptian tattoo traditions, Iron Age animal motifs of Siberia, Ottoman-era religious imagery of Croatian Catholics, historical and contemporary burik designs of the Philippines, and the modern revival of birthing tattoos in Alaska. This volume contributes to our understanding of the antiquity, durability, and significance of tattooing and human body decoration and illuminates how different societies have used their skin to construct identities, transmit knowledge, and display societal values. Ancient Ink connects ancient body art traditions to modern culture with essays on Indigenous tattoo revitalization and the work of contemporary tattoo artists who employ historical techniques and imagery, demonstrating the pervasiveness of tattooing and its status as a shared human practice. Table of Contents Acknowledgments Introduction / Aaron Deter-Wolf and Lars Krutak Part Skin 1. New Tattoos from Ancient Defining Marks of Culture / Rene Friedman 2. Tattoos of the Ibaloy Mummies of Benguet, North Luzon, Philippines Analyn Salvador-Amores 3. Reviving Tribal Tattoo Traditions of the Philippines / Lars Krutak 4. The Mummification Process Among the "Fire Mummies" of A Paleohistological Note / Dario Piombino-Mascali, Ronald G. Beckett, Orlando V. Abinion, and Dong Hoon Shin 5. Identifications of Iron Age Tattoos from the Altai-Sayan Mountains in Russia / Svetlana Pankova 6. Neo-Pazyryk A Modern Revival / Colin Dale and Lars Krutak 7. Recovering the Nineteenth-Century European Collections, Contexts, and Techniques / Gemma Angel 8. After You Preserving Tattooed Skin / Aaron Deter-Wolf and Lars Krutak Part Tools 9. The Antiquity of Tattooing in Southeastern Europe / Petar N. Zidarov 10. Balkan Europe's Oldest Living Tattoo Tradition / Lars Krutak 11. Archaeological Evidence for Tattooing in Polynesia and Micronesia / Louise Furey 12. Reading Between Our Tattooing in Papua New Guinea / Lars Krutak 13. Scratching the Mistaken Identifications of Tattoo Tools from Eastern North America / Aaron Deter-Wolf, Benoit Robitaille, and Isaac Walters 14. Native North American Tattoo Revival / Lars Krutak< 15. The Discovery of a Sarmatian Tattoo Toolkit in Russia / Leonid T. Yablonsky 16. Further Evaluation of Tattooing Use-Wear on Bone Tools / Aaron Deter-Wolf and Tara Nicole Clark Part Art 17. What to Make of the Prehistory of Tattooing in Europe? / Luc Renaut< 18. Sacrificing the Tattooed Prehistoric Ivory Figures of St. Lawrence Island, Alaska / Lars Krutak 19. A Long Reawakening Tattoo Traditions in Alaska / Lars Krutak References Index Cover Title Copyright Contents Acknowledgments Ancient Ink Introduction Part 1: Skin 1 New Tattoos from Ancient Egypt: Defining Marks of Culture 2 Burik: Tattoos of the Ibaloy Mummies of Benguet, North Luzon, Philippines 3 Reviving Tribal Tattoo Traditions of the Philippines 4 The Mummification Process among the “Fire Mummies” of Kabayan: A Paleohistological Note 5 Identifications of Iron Age Tattoos from the Altai-Sayan Mountains in Russia 6 Neo-Pazyryk Tattoos: A Modern Revival 7 Recovering the Nineteenth-Century European Tattoo: Collections, Contexts, and Techniques 8 After You Die: Preserving Tattooed Skin Part 2: Tools 9 The Antiquity of Tattooing in Southeastern Europe 10 Balkan Ink: Europe’s Oldest Living Tattoo Tradition 11 Archaeological Evidence for Tattooing in Polynesia and Micronesia 12 Reading Between Our Lines: Tattooing in Papua New Guinea 13 Scratching the Surface: Mistaken Identifications of Tattoo Tools from Eastern North America 14 Native North American Tattoo Revival 15 The Discovery of a Sarmatian Tattoo Toolkit in Russia 16 Further Evaluation of Tattooing Use-Wear on Bone Tools Part 3: Art 17 What to Make of the Prehistory of Tattooing in Europe? 18 Sacrificing the Sacred: Tattooed Prehistoric Ivory Figures of St. Lawrence Island, Alaska 19 A Long Sleep: Reawakening Tattoo Traditions in Alaska References Contributors Index "The desire to alter and adorn the human body is universal. While specific forms of body decoration, and the underlying motivations, vary according to region, culture, and era, all human societies have engaged in practices designed to augment and enhance their natural appearance. Tattooing, the process of inserting pigment into the skin to create permanent designs and patterns, appears on human mummies by 3200 BCE and was practiced by ancient cultures throughout the world. Ancient Ink, the first book dedicated to the archaeological study of tattooing, presents new research from across the globe examining tattooed human remains, tattoo tools, and ancient art. It contributes to our understanding of the antiquity, durability, and significance of tattooing and human body decoration and illuminates how different societies have used their skin to construct their identities. Ancient Ink connects ancient body art traditions to modern culture through Indigenous communities and the work of contemporary tattoo artists."--Site web de l'éditeur

The desire to alter and adorn the human body is universal. While specific forms of body decoration, and the underlying motivations, vary according to region, culture, and era, all human societies have engaged in practices designed to augment and enhance their natural appearance. Tattooing, the process of inserting pigment into the skin to create permanent designs and patterns, appears on human mummies by 3200 BCE and was practiced by ancient cultures throughout the world.

Ancient Ink, the first book dedicated to the archaeological study of tattooing, presents new research from across the globe examining tattooed human remains, tattoo tools, and ancient art. It contributes to our understanding of the antiquity, durability, and significance of tattooing and human body decoration and illuminates how different societies have used their skin to construct their identities. Ancient Ink connects ancient body art traditions to modern culture through Indigenous communities and the work of contemporary tattoo artists.

The human desire to adorn the body is universal and timeless. While specific forms of body decoration and the motivations for them vary by region, culture, and era, all human societies have engaged in practices designed to augment and enhance people's natural appearance. Tattooing, the process of inserting pigment into the skin to create permanent designs and patterns, is one of the most widespread forms of body art and was practiced by ancient cultures throughout the world, with tattoos appearing on human mummies by 3200 BCE. Ancient Ink , the first book dedicated to the archaeological study of tattooing, presents new, globe-spanning research examining tattooed human remains, tattoo tools, and ancient art. Connecting ancient body art traditions to modern culture through Indigenous communities and the work of contemporary tattoo artists, the volume's contributors reveal the antiquity, durability, and significance of body decoration, illuminating how different societies have used their skin to construct their identities.