Podcast
Tattoology
Hosted by Ivy Boyd · EN
Anthropology student (and tattoo enthusiast) Ivy Boyd shares the history behind the ancient art of tattooing! From tattooed mummies to the evolution of the tools themselves, tune in every Wednesday to learn more about this beautiful long-held art form.
10episodes
Episodes
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Genipap and the Chimú Mummies
Mar 1100:13:58Tap to summarizeWhen tattooed mummies of the ancient Chimú culture were discovered in Peru, archaeologists were puzzled by the presence of a preserved fruit clutched in their hands... a fruit which is linked heavily to the paranormal and supernatural. What might this fruit, the genipap, tell us about the Chimú people and their tattoo practice?Instagram: www.instagram.com/tattoologypodContact: tattoologypod@gmail.comMusic is by Universfield from PixabayResources used for this episode:Lars Krutak, “Pre-Columbian Tattoos of Western South America”Pablo Albarenga, Francesc Badia I Dalmases, “Brazil’s Indigenous peoples mobilise against encroachment on their lands”, Open Democracy, 2022Rowan Menezes, “Jagua: The Traditional Blueish Dye Of The Shipibo Tribe For Body Art And Medicinal Purposes”, Jagua Factory, 2023 Sankofa Mind + Body, “Genipapo for Spiritual Ceremony Preparation”
Transcribe →Human Bone Tattoo Tools
Mar 400:18:48Tap to summarizeWhat a title for an episode! And it's not clickbait, it's not an exaggeration. But it's also not nearly as "grim" or "creepy" as it may sound, so I hope everyone sticks around to learn more about these fascinating, old, and macabre tattoo tools...Instagram: www.instagram.com/tattoologypodContact: tattoologypod@gmail.comMusic is by Universfield from PixabayResources used for this episode:Danielle Maguire, "World's 'oldest' tattooing kit discovered in a box years after it was thought to be lost", ABC News, 2019Megan Gannon, "2,700-Year-Old Polynesian Tattoo Kit Found — and the 'Needles' Were Made of Human Bone", Live Science, 2019 The Conversation, "World’s oldest tattooist’s toolkit found in Tonga contains implements made of human bone", 2019
Transcribe →Oldest Known Tattoo Tools
Feb 2500:18:27Tap to summarizeThis week, lets have a brief chat about some current discussions happening in the tattoo field, then talk about the OLDEST tattoo tools discovered here in the US! Instagram: www.instagram.com/tattoologypodContact: tattoologypod@gmail.comMusic is by Universfield from PixabayResources used for this episode:Aaron Deter-Wolf, Lars Krutak “Ancient Ink”, University of Washington Press, 2017Aaron Deter-Wolf, Tanya M. Peres, Steven Karacic, “Ancient Native American bone tattooing tools and pigments: Evidence from central Tennessee”, Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, Vol. 37, 2021 Bruce Bower, “The oldest known tattoo tools were found at an ancient Tennessee site - Sharpened turkey leg bones may have served as tattoo needles at least 3,620 years ago”, ScienceNews, 2021
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Gebelein Man (Oldest Figural Tattoo)
Feb 1800:16:45Tap to summarizeWelcome back! This week, let’s learn about a fascinating pair of tattooed mummy from Egypt, one of which holds the current record for the world oldest figural tattoo. Instagram: www.instagram.com/tattoologypodContact: tattoologypod@gmail.comMusic is by Universfield from PixabayResources used for this episode:Aaron Deter-Wolf, Lars Krutak “Ancient Ink”, University of Washington Press, 2017Brigit Katz, "Earliest Figural Tattoos Discovered on 5,000-Year-Old Mummies", Smithsonian Magazine, 2018Daniel Antoine, “Virtual autopsy: discover how the ancient Egyptian Gebelein Man died”, The British Museum, 2012, accessed Jan 2026
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Oldest Tattooed Bog Body in the UK
Sep 2900:20:30Tap to summarizeLindow Man, a famous preserved bog body found in Cheshire, North West England, is often regarded as the oldest tattooed person in the UK. But (plot twist) this may not be true... *cue suspenseful music*Instagram: www.instagram.com/tattoologypodContact: tattoologypod@gmail.comMusic is by Universfield from PixabayResources used for this episode:Don Brothwell, "A Faith in Archaeological Science : Reflections on a Life", 1st ed. Archaeopress, 2016, accessed May 2025Miranda Aldhouse-Green, “Bog Bodies Uncovered”, 2015Sacred Gold, "Tattooing in the UK: From Ancient Tattoos to Modern Art", accessed May 2025Tomasz Czekaj, "The Evolution Of Tattoo Culture In British Society: From Taboo To Mainstream Art", tommicrazy.comWikipedia, "Lindow Man"
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Facial Tattoos of the Thule Mummies
Sep 1700:10:22Tap to summarizeFor this episode, let's explore the subject of face tattoos and discuss ancient example present on the famous Thule mummies of Greenland. Instagram: www.instagram.com/tattoologypodContact: tattoologypod@gmail.comMusic is by Universfield from PixabayResources used for this episode:Archaeosoup (YouTube) The Qilakitsoq Mummies: In FocusMaya Sialuk Jacobsen, "Inuit Tattoo Traditions and the Complexities of a Revival for The Vessel", The VesselNiels Lynnerup, "The Thule Inuit Mummies From Greenland", American Association for Anatomy, 2015
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Tattooed Mummies of Deir el-Medina
Jun 4, 202500:15:36Tap to summarizeAnimals, patterns, gods/goddesses, the Eye of Horus... these are examples of previously unseen ancient Egyptian tattoos discovered by archaeologist Anne Austin on the women of Deir el-Medina: a village of artisans and craftsmen who built the tombs for the kings and queens of ancient Egypt. What do these tattoos tell us about the lives of these women, and how does this help to dispel previous assumptions made about ancient tattooed women?Instagram: www.instagram.com/tattoologypodContact: tattoologypod@gmail.comMusic is by Universfield from PixabayResources used for this episode:Jason Daley, "Infrared Reveals Egyptian Mummies’ Hidden Tattoos", Smithsonian Magazine, 2019Burk Krohe, "Digging for truth: Anne Austin uncovers tattoos and more in Egypt", UMSL Daily, 2020Kristina Killgrove, "Protective childbirth tattoos found on ancient Egyptian mummies", Live Science, 2022
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"Do Not Get Those Tattoos"
May 28, 202500:12:12Tap to summarizeRecently, a TikTok video has gone viral in which the creator pleads with the audience to not get tattoos because they will regret them. Lets sit down and discuss this narrative, tattoo regret, and how it impacts societies views on tattoos. Instagram: www.instagram.com/tattoologypodContact: tattoologypod@gmail.comMusic is by Universfield from Pixabay
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The Siberian Ice Maiden
May 7, 202500:18:36Tap to summarizeThis ancient mummies breathtaking shoulder tattoo has become an icon in the tattoo world, with countless people sporting a modern replica on their own bodies. But what did her tattoo even mean? What more can we learn from this remarkably well preserved mummy?Instagram: www.instagram.com/tattoologypodContact: tattoologypod@gmail.comMusic is by Universfield from PixabayResources used for this episode:Dave Roos, "The Mystery of Siberia's 'Ice Maiden' Mummy", History, 2025Georgy Maenev, "The Mystery of the Siberian Ice Maiden", Russia Beyond, 2021Olga Khrustaleva, "The mystery of Siberia's 2,500-year-old 'Ice Maiden'", BBC, 2021Wikipedia, "Pazyryk burials"Wikipedia, "Siberian Ice Maiden"
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Ancient Tattoo Tool Re-Discovered in WSU Archive
Apr 30, 202500:10:42Tap to summarizeDetails behind the art of ancient indigenous tattooing in North America have been largely lost over time, with colonization and cultural eraser to blame. So when Andrew Gillreath-Brown re-discovered of a thousands-of-years-old tattoo tool sitting in the archives at Washington State University, he knew this would help shed new light on indigenous tattoo history!Instagram: www.instagram.com/tattoologypodContact: tattoologypod@gmail.comMusic is by Universfield from PixabayResources used for this episode:Andrew Gillreath-Brown, Aaron Deter-Wolf, Karen R. Adams, Valerie Lynch-Holm, Samantha Fulgham, Shannon Tushingham, William D. Lipe, R.G. Matson, "Redefining the age of tattooing in western North America: A 2000-year-old artifact from Utah", Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, Volume 24, 2019Meilan Solly, "These 2,000-Year-Old Needles, Still Sharp, Are the Oldest Tattooing Instruments Found in the Southwestern U.S.", Smithsonian Magazine, 2019WSU, "Oldest tattoo tool in western North America discovered", 2019
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