Ancient Egyptian tattoos and their Excavation

At Speakeasy Tattoo in Los Angeles California, I have been studying the art of tattooing and its significance to several cultures. This week we will be diving into the tattoos of Ancient Egypt and discovering their rich history in the skin. 

The art of tattooing goes back millennia and was practiced in ancient Egypt as early as the middle kingdom (2040-1782 BCE).  “In ancient cultures such as Greece and Rome the tattoo was worn as a cultic symbol dedicating one to a certain god, as a brand symbolizing servitude, as a mark of a certain type of profession (such as a prostitute) or to encourage fertility or afford protection. In these cultures both men and women were tattooed but, in Egypt, tattoos were seemingly only worn by women though possibly for many of the same reasons” (Joshua J. Mark).

The excavation of Egyptology was found to have many prejudices amongst the excavators in the early 1900s to 2000s. These prejudices against women and tattoo culture led them to assume that tattooed women were of lower class and prostitutes. “Early Egyptologists interpreted these tattoos according to their own understanding and prejudices concerning body art and, in examining the female mummies or feminine statuary, concluded that tattoos were worn by lower class prostitutes and dancing girls.” (Joshua J. Mark). 

After finding evidence that these tattooed women were high priestesses, however, prejudice against tattoo culture still lingers in historic interpretations. “The interpretation of "low class" tattooed women was somewhat revised to include the concept of cultic tattoos identifying a woman with the worship of Hathor. This understanding still carried with it a sense of eroticism and sexuality, however, which a present-day sensibility cannot seem to include in the definition of a priestess” (Joshua J. Mark). Those who interpret history are responsible for interpreting it without bias and respecting the value of untouched information. Although this information may remain unsolved and the meanings of these tattoos remain unclear, it is very obvious tattoos were worn by women of every status in ancient Egypt. The tattoos themselves were those symbolising the protection of pregnant women and children as well as sexuality, humor, fertility and joy in life. 

Bio Archeologist Anne Austin actively works against these prejudices and studied human remains at Deir el Medina. Austin found a preserved female body with tattoos and discovered that she must have been of high religious status. “These tattoos revealed a potentially untold story at Deir el Medina and, more broadly, in New Kingdom Egypt. The placement and symbolism of these tattoos tell us this woman may have served an intimate religious role at Deir el Medina.” (Anne Austin). The woman had several tattoos on her body but the tattoos of the Eye of Horus piqued my interest the most. “The Eye of Horus was placed on the throat, the two shoulders and the back; from any angle when one looked at this woman, a pair of divine eyes peered back. These divine eyes were written together with the hieroglyph nefer. This combination forms the phrase “to do good.” This phrase was made even more effective by using a divine eye in place of a normal one. The placement of divine formulas “to do good” on her throat and shoulders may have magically imbued her song, speech and every arm movement with this ability,” (Anne Austin). 

Anne Austin’s research combats the previous archeological stigma that tattooed women in Egypt were of lower status when in fact women of all classes and professions were tattooed with symbols of protection, happiness, and on high priestesses, divinity.