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Tattoos in Ancient Egypt

Tattoos in ancient Egypt

The ancient Egyptians are known for their facial make-up and perfumery, but they were equally interested in tattooing. One of their favorite habits was body painting with elaborate tattoo designs, and they also had unique designs for the face. To achieve a beautiful result, they used different colors which they got from natural materials.

In ancient Egyptian society the tattoo had a prominent meaning and multiple interpretations, such as: a symbol of social representation and their position, depiction of their perceptions of divinity or even just an element that would highlight the beauty of the body and make it more attractive. The significance of the tattoo was thus related to who was the person who wore it on his body and to the purpose it served.

Evidence of ancient Egyptian tattoos

Tattooing has been a necessary element of mummification since 2000 BC, since all mummies have been tattooed on their bodies since that time. The tattoo on the mummies was very elaborate with designs that proved to be connected to the mystery and certified the developed technique from this very early historical period.

The meaning of tattoos

The meaning of using the tattoo technique is not totally clear as has not yet been completely determined. There is confusion even today about the purpose of its use. Scientific studies, however, have shown that its use mainly concerned the female body rather than the male body. Especially the tattoos of the Middle Kingdom era on mummified bodies of the female sex with geometric patterns.

The story behind the decorated fingers

Extensive studies have shown that tattooed fingers were mummies associated with music and dance in ancient Egypt. This view is not entirely acceptable, although an indisputable element is the female mummy found in Deir el-Bahari and identified with a priestess of the goddess Hathor, patroness of music and dance.

Tattoos and social status

Tattooing has been associated with social groups in ancient Egypt and not just music and dance art forms. Thus, each social group used different tattoo designs and the designs were expressive of the beliefs and ideals of each social group. In other words, it was an element of social stratification and declared the class differentiation of the members of the ancient Egyptian society.

More in this category: « Perfumes and accents