Ötzi the Iceman ( pronounced ˈœtsi ' ), Frozen Fritz , and Similaun Man are modern nicknames of a well-preserved natural mummy of a man from about 3300 BC (53 centuries ago), found in 1991 in the Schnalstal glacier in the Ötztal Alps , near Hauslabjoch on the border between Austria and Italy . The nickname comes from Ötztal , the region in which he was discovered. He is Europe's oldest natural human mummy, and has offered an unprecedented...

The Pazyryk ( Russian : Пазарык ) is the name of an ancient nomadic people who lived in the Altai Mountains lying in Siberian Russia south of the modern city of Novosibirsk , near the borders of China , Kazakhstan and Mongolia . In this part of the Ukok Plateau , many ancient Bronze Age barrow -like tomb mounds of larch logs covered over by large cairns of boulders and stones have been found. These spectacular burials of the Pazyryk culture...

When the Samoan Islands were first seen by Europeans in 1722 three Dutch ships commanded by Jacob Roggewein visited the eastern island known as Manua. A crew member of one of the ships described the natives in these words, “They are friendly in their speech and courteous in their behavior, with no apparent trace of wildness or savagery. They do not paint themselves, as do the natives of some other islands, but on the lower part of the body...

Created by the Akan people of Ghana, and the Gyaman of Cote d'Ivoire in West African Tattoo History|Africa the Adinkra symbols represent concepts or aphorisms. Adinkra are used on fabric, walls, in pottery, woodcarvings and logos. They also can be used to communicate evocative messages that represent parts of their life or those around them. Nyame Nti Adinkrahene Akoma Ntoso Denkyem ...

The history of tattooing in Africa dates back thousands of years. Until the recent discovery of Otzi the Iceman, the oldest known tattoos belonged to the mummy of Amunet, a priestess of the goddess Hathor somewhere between 2160 BC -1994 BC. With her simple parallel lines on her arms, legs, and an elliptical pattern below her navel, Amunet was the oldest glimpse we know had into tattooing in Africa, and the world. The designs found on her...

Know as the "Dayak", meaning "interior" or "inland" person, the variety of indigenous native tribes of Borneo have a tradition of tattooing that describes their fundamental identity as tribespeople, headhunters, warriors, and community members. Both the men and the women were tattooed, and for a variety of reasons. Dayak tattoo mythology All aspects of Dayak tatttoing showed a great reverence for ancestors, the departed spirits who...

Sak yant, (also called yantra tattooing), is a form of sacred tattooing practiced in Southeast Asian countries including Cambodia and Thailand. Sak yant are normally tattooed by Buddhist monks or Brahmin priests. The most famous temple in the present day for Yant tattooing is Wat Bang Phra in Nakhon Chaysri, Nakhon Pathom Province, Thailand. The Yantra designs that already existed in Hindu India were adapted by the Khmer as Buddhism arrived...

Makonde Traditional Methods In traditional Makonde practises for tattooing, the tattoo ('dinembo') ("design" or "decoration") usually requires three or more sessions with the tattoo artist (mpundi wa dinembo) ("tattoo design artist") to produce the correct result. Cuts are made with the traditional tattoo implements (chipopo), the design of which is one of the only major changes in Makonde tattooing practises - the old blade has now...

The history of tattooing belongs to a great many peoples, and as the art travelled across the globe, the styles, methods and meanings were adapted to the various tribes which used the practise of tattooing within their culture. Presently, the art of the Maori Tribal Tattoos|Maori, Polynesian Tribal Tattoos|Polynesian, Samoan Tattoos|Samoans and mesoamerican peoples such as the Aztec are popular and are referred to as 'tribal' in the West, but...