In terms of tattoos on actual bodies, the earliest known examples were for a long time Egyptian and were present on several female mummies dated to c. What is the earliest evidence of tattoos? Joann Fletcher, research fellow in the department of archaeology at the University of York in Britain, describes the history of tattoos and their cultural significance to people around the world, from the famous " Iceman," a 5,200-year-old frozen mummy, to today’s Maori. These permanent designs-sometimes plain, sometimes elaborate, always personal-have served as amulets, status symbols, declarations of love, signs of religious beliefs, adornments and even forms of punishment. Humans have marked their bodies with tattoos for thousands of years.