Tattoos are known to date back to the pre-Christian calendar — even the Ice Age —proving they originated long before we began tattooing butterflies on our ankles and family names on our chests. In many tribes, it’s the norm to have one’s face covered in tattoos. Here are 10 stunning tribal facial tattoos from around the world, as documented by environmentalgraffiti.com.
1. Kayapo tribe, Brazil
The Kayapos live along the Xingu River or Rio Xingua in the Amazon Rainforest. In their rituals and practices, they put great emphasis on the relationship between people and the Earth. Their villages are made up of several huts, with a central one for the men to meet and discuss community issues.
2. Maori tribe, New Zealand
The Maori are the second largest ethnic group in New Zealand, after European New Zealanders. Modern day Maori people are Mormons, Catholics and Methodists. For their tattoos, they traditionally used a method called ta moko, in which the skin was carved instead of punctured. The tattoo marked the transition from childhood to adulthood and was worn on the face, buttocks and thighs for men and on the lips and chins for women.
3. Modern Maori
Eventually, needles replaced traditional chisels in Maori tattoos. In fact, men receive moko less and less — the traditional method in which the skin is carved instead of punctured – but it is still prevalent among women.
4. Fulani tribe, Africa (multiple countries)
The Fulani tribe is the largest migratory ethnic group on the planet. More than 30 million Fulani people live in Africa, all practicing the behavior code called the Pulaaku. The code is made up of several components that help distinguish someone as part of a particular tribe.
5. Fulani female
Fulani women have faint tattoos around their mouths. These tattoos can mark a rite of passage from childhood to adulthood, and in some cases can be a sexual lure, a sign of fertility or a sign of beauty. At puberty, Fulani girls tattoo the bottom part of their lip as a sign of beauty. Once they’re married, the upper part is tattooed to show they’re taken.
6. Atayal tribe, Taiwan
In the Atayal tribe — one of Taiwain’s most indigenous tribes — facial tattoos are a sign of maturity. The tattoo gradually grows in size as the person gets older.
7. Kutia Kondh, India
The Kondhs live in the states of Orissa, Srikakulam and Andra Pradesh. They’re most famously known for their human sacrifices in the 19th centuries, as well as their unique facial tattoos.
8. Chindok tribe, Myanmar
There are several tribes in the Chin Hills of Northwestern Myanmar, and has unique tattoos. The females usually have their faces tattooed at a very young age.
9. Ukit tribe, Bomeo
The Ukit tribe is very small, with approximately 120 people today. They live in the rain forests near Sarawak, and wear intricate tattoos on their chests, shoulders and faces.
10. Mentawai tribe, Indonesia
The Mentawai have some of the most distinct tattoos of all the Indonesian tribes. Most members have their entire bodies tattooed and for the men, the tattoos tell the stories of their lives.
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