Egypt

Egypt is a country in northeast Africa whose ancient civilisation left a rich history of body decoration. Jewellery, cosmetics and tattoos accompanied a visual world of gods, animals and protective symbols.

Tattooed bodies survive from more than five thousand years ago. The Gebelein mummies bear animal and other designs. Later examples include the woman traditionally identified as Amunet and tattooed women from Deir el-Medina.

Wings, serpents, scarabs and divine figures also fill temple walls and other objects. These motifs could express protection, kingship or renewal, although not every decorated figure is evidence of a tattoo.

Egypt's early examples once encouraged claims that tattooing began there. Finds elsewhere, including Ötzi in the Alps, show that several ancient communities marked their bodies. The surviving skin tells us where tattooing existed, without proving one birthplace for the art.