The History of Tattoos

Level: Pre- Intermediate +

Age: All ages 

 

Before you watch

Get together with a partner and discuss the following questions

1.    Do you know where the name “tattoo” comes from?

2.    Do you know anything about their origin?

3.    Would you get a tattoo? Why? Why not?

Watching for main ideas

You are going to watch a short video about the origin of tattoos. Watch the video once and check if your predictions were right.

Watching for details

1. These are some figures that appear in the video. Do you remember what they refer to? Watch the video again and check.

1000s                  1/7                      5000                 1991                5,300                59            1876

2. Answer the following questions

a.    What was widely believed about the origin of tattoos at first?

b.    Who is Ötzi? Why is it said that his corpse offered a truly strange finding?

c.    Who designed the first tattoo gun?

d.    What material is tattooing derived of?

LANGUAGE FOLLOW UP

Fill in the blanks with a suitable tense. Use active or passive voice

Tattoos _________________(be) around for thousands of years and they _______________(appear) to be everywhere now. At least one in seven North Americans _____________(have) a tattoo on legs, arms, heads and hands. They’re out in the open and ready to_______________(see). Where do they come from and who has tattoos?

Until recently, it _________________(widely/ believe) that the Polynesian people _______________ (invent) the tattoo some 5000 years ago on islands dotted throughout the South Pacific, thousands of miles from the nearest continents. It _________________(believe)that the practice then _______________(spread) throughout Polynesia, reaching New Zeeland to the south and Samoa to the north. Some say  it’s this region and the tools that the Polynesian _______________(use) that actually ________________(give) tattoo its name, and that the word tattoo itself _______________(originate) from the Samoan word “tatau”, which literally _________________(mean)  “balanced or fitting”. Others _____________(say) that the word tattoo ________________(come) from the sound that the hand tool and the sticks make. But all these theories ________________(shatter) when in 1991 on a mountain on the border of Italy and Austria a frozen body _________________( discover). It was the oldest human ever found.

Read the following sentences. What do the words/ phrases underlined mean?

1. Tattoos have been around for thousands of years
2. Until recently, it was widely believed that the Polynesian people invented the tattoo
3. It was believed that the practice then spread throughout Polynesia, reaching New Zeeland to the south and Samoa to the north.
4. Some say it’s this region and the tools that the Polynesian used that actually gave tattoo its name.
5. All these theories were shattered when a frozen body was discovered.
6. The corpse was that of a sacrificed human.
7. Since the tattoo dyes contain metal MRI exams may cause tattoos to have a burning or stinging sensation.

WORD FORMATION

Tattooing has been practised (1) ___________________.     (WORLD)         

It was (2) _______________among Polynesian peoples and among certain     (WIDE) (3)______________groups in the Taiwan, Philippines, Borneo, Mentawai Islands, (TRIBE) Africa, North America, South America, Mesoamerica, Europe, Japan, Cambodia,  New Zealand and Micronesia. Despite some taboos (4)_____________tattooing,      (SURROUND) 

the art continues to be popular in many parts of the world.

Tattoo enthusiasts may refer to tattoos as "Ink", "Tats", "Art", "Pieces", or "Work"; and to the tattooists as " (5)_______________".    (ART)  

Art galleries hold (6)__________of both traditional and custom tattoo designs.  (EXHIBIT)

Tattooing is a tradition among indigenous peoples around the world. Tattoos have served as marks of status and rank, symbols of (7)____________and      (RELIGION)                      

spiritual devotion, decorations and marks of (8)_______________, pledges of love,(FERTILE)  (9)_______________, amulets and talismans,               (PUNISH)                              (10)_______________, and as the marks of outcasts, slaves and convicts.             (PROTECT)

 

KEY

1.  

1000s                  1/7                      5000                 1991                5,300                59            1876     

Tattoos have been around for 1000’s of years

1/7 North Americans has a tattoo on legs, arms, heads and hands.

Until recently, it was widely believed that the Polynesian people invented the tattoo some 5000 years ago

A frozen body was discovered in 1991

A man 5,300 years old with flesh, organs, fingers and toes all intact.

The corpse was covered in tattoos, more than 59 in all.

The basic tattoo gun was invented in 1876 and called the autographic printer, an engraving device.

2.  

a.       Until recently, it was widely believed that the Polynesian people invented the tattoo some 5000 years ago on islands dotted throughout the South Pacific, thousands of miles from the nearest continents. It was believed that the practice then spread throughout Polynesia, reaching New Zeeland to the south and Samoa to the north

b.      Ötzi the Iceman is a frozen body  discovered in 1991 on a mountain on the border of Italy and Austria. It was the oldest human ever found. The corpse was covered in tattoos, more than 59 in all. Some have speculated that these are the markings of a shaman, a religious leader, and that the corpse was that of a sacrificed human.

c.       Thomas Edison invented the autographic printer, an engraving device, in 1876.

d.      Metals.

VOCABULARY

8. Tattoos have EXISTED for thousands of years
9. Until recently, it was BELIEVED BY MANY PEOPLE that the Polynesian people invented the tattoo
10. It was believed that the practice then spread ALL OVER/ ALL THROUGH Polynesia, reaching New Zeeland to the south and Samoa to the north.
11. Some say it’s this region and the tools that the Polynesian used that IN FACT/REALLY gave tattoo its name.
12. All these theories were DESTROYED when a frozen body was discovered.
13. The DEAD BODYwas that of a sacrificed human.
14. Since the tattoo dyes contain metal MRI exams may cause tattoos to have a burning or PICANTE/ DE ARDOR sensation.

WORD BUILDING

1.     

6.      Exhibitions 7.      Religious 8.      Fertility 9.      Punishment 10.  Protection

Wordwide

2.      Widespread

3.      Tribal

4.      Surrounding

5.      Artists

SCRIPT (by Marcela)

Tattoos have been around for thousands of years and they appear to be everywhere now. At least one in seven North Americans has a tattoo on legs, arms, heads and hands. They’re out in the open and ready to be seen. Where do they come from and who has tattoos?

Until recently, it was widely believed that the Polynesian people invented the tattoo some 5000 years ago on islands dotted throughout the South Pacific, thousands of miles from the nearest continents. It was believed that the practice then spread throughout Polynesia, reaching New Zeeland to the south and Samoa to the north. Some say  it’s this region and the tools that the Polynesian used that actually gave tattoo its name, and that the word tattoo itself originates from the Samoan word “tatau”, which literally means  “balanced or fitting”. Others say that the word tattoo comes from the sound that the hand tool and the sticks make. But all these theories were shattered when in 1991 on a mountain on the border of Italy and Austria a frozen body was discovered. It was the oldest human ever found.

A man 5,300 years old with flesh, organs, fingers and toes all intact. One of the most amazing and unique finds in the history of science, Ötzi the Iceman. The corpse offered a truly strange finding; it was covered in tattoos, more than 59 in all. Some have speculated that these are the markings of a shaman, a religious leader, and that the corpse was that of a sacrificed human.

Tattoos are now applied with a tattoo gun, which was designed not by someone that looks like this, but someone that looks like this. It was Thomas Edison. The basic machine was invented in 1876 and called the autographic printer, an engraving device. A few years later Samuel O'Reilly adapted the machine to inject ink into the skin, and later patented a tube and needle system to provide an ink reservoir. Strangely enough, tattooing is actually derived from metals. Red color and black color come from iron oxides. Yellow comes from cadmium and green from chromium. And since the tattoo dyes contain metal MRI exams may cause tattoos to have a burning or stinging sensation. So you can cause a reaction when people can see your tattoos and also when they can’t.