Made From Bird Bones, These Could Be The Oldest Known Tattooing Tools 27 MAY 2021 A set of cut and sharpened turkey bones excavated decades ago from an ancient Native American grave seem to be the oldest tattooing tools we've found to date. A new, detailed analysis of these artifacts has allowed archaeologists to determine that they were likely used to tattoo skin, bringing us a little closer to understanding the history of body modification, suggesting it was a persistent practice among Native Americans for at least 3,000 years.
Tattooing, although considered subcultural in some societies, is actually about as traditional as you can get. We have evidence that humans around the world have been decorating their skin by puncturing it with ink-laden sharp implements for thousands of years.