Believe it or not but most scientist believe the origins of tattoos
date back to about 3300 B.C. They believe that certain marks
found on the skin of the “?TZI”, a mummified body of an
iceman found in the italian alps, were considered tattoos back
in his days. If their acceptance is true, these marks on his body
represent the earliest known evidence for tattoos in history.
All we know for sure up until now is, there are tattoos found on
Egyptian and Nubian mummies dating from about 2000 B.C.
Classical authors also mention the use of tattoos in ancient societies
like the old Greeks, Germans, Britons, Romans and Gauls.

The tattoos we know nowadays were discovered by Europeans while
exploring north america and the south seas of the
pacific ocean. Their first contact with cultures like the American
Indians and Polynesians also were the first contact of so called
“civilized” people with tattoos. The word tattoo was first
mentioned in James Cook’s records from his 1769 journey to the
south seas. The natives of Tahiti, this is were Cook’s expedition went
to, called the marks on their bodies TATTAU which was
translated into TATTOO by Cook. Due to their exotic appearance,
tattooed Indians and Polynesians where showcased at circuses
and fairs during the 18th and 19th century all over Europe and the US.