History of Tattoos

1. History of Tattoos
By: Edwin Hammond Meredith

2. History of Tattoos
Florida resident Edwin Hammond Meredith works as a professional spec driver for Score
International Series. Outside of working in the racing industry, Edwin Hammond Meredith’s
interests include tattoos.

3. History of Tattoos
For many tattoo enthusiasts, tattoos are a way to use their bodies as a palette for self-expression,
but historically, tattoos have been used across many cultures for a variety of reasons.

4. History of Tattoos
The word tattoo is believed to come from the Samoan word tatau, which means to strike or mark,
and over time, tattoos have served multiple purposes. Some of the more common purposes have
included marking position or status, to indicate rank, to indicate group membership, religion, and
criminality. For example, in Ancient China and other Asian countries, tattoos were used to mark
criminals and were seen as barbaric. In Ancient Egypt, tattoos served decorative and therapeutic
purposes. Samoan culture adopted the practice as a part of its social culture. Finally, in Ancient
Greece and Rome, the tattoo was used to designate slaves and prisoners from the populace.

5. History of Tattoos
In recent times, several subcultures have adopted tattoos. Aristocratic women borrowing from the
style of male royals used tattoos as a fashion statement in the 19th century. Early sailors used
tattoos to signify making milestones in their journey or as a mark of protection while they traveled,
and then in the early part of the 20th century, sailors tattoos indicated belonging to the community.
In the thirties, both men and women tattooed their social security numbers on their skin as a
memory aid. The latter part of the 20th century has seen tattoos being used to assert masculinity
(the fifties), belonging to counterculture ( the seventies) before they became widely accepted part
of the culture, many adopting them for a variety of reasons, commonly as adornment.