1. Millennia-Old Ink on the Iceman
The world’s oldest known tattoos were discovered on Ötzi the Iceman—over 5,000 years old—found preserved in the Alps. His 61 tattoos, applied using soot and charcoal, likely served therapeutic purposes such as pain relief .
2. Message Delivery, Ancient-Style
Tattooing has even functioned as a unique communication tool: In the 5th century B.C., the Greek historian Herodotus recounted how Histiaeus tattooed a secret message on a slave’s shaved head, waited for the hair to grow back, then sent him off—effectively smuggling information past enemies .
3. Tattoo Evolution: From Edison’s Invention to Modern Machines
The first electric tattoo machine was invented in 1891 by Samuel O’Reilly, based on Thomas Edison’s electric pen—marking the start of modern tattooing as we know it today .
4. Living Records: The Most Tattooed People
Julia “The Illustrated Lady” Gnuse covered nearly 95% of her body in ink to camouflage scars caused by porphyria .
María José Cristerna, also known as “The Vampire Woman,” holds the Guinness World Record for the most tattooed woman—96% of her body—including extensive body modifications .
Lucky Diamond Rich holds the record for the most tattooed person overall—completely covered from head to toe, including the insides of his mouth and eyelids .
5. Beyond the Skin—Listening to Tattoos
Enter the world of soundwave tattoos: designs inked as waveforms that can be scanned and played back via a smartphone app. People are using them to preserve meaningful audio—like a loved one’s voice—in a beautiful, auditory way .
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