The earliest tattoos yet identified belonged to Ötzi, the ‘iceman’, whose mummy allows us a brief glimpse into the prehistory of the practice. We know that over the more than five thousand years since he was tattooed, countless cultures have performed this ancient practice, and people in every corner of the world have been tattooed. For the most part, these fascinating histories remain stubbornly untold. Now with access to a wealth of new and unreported material, this book will roll up its sleeves and reveal the artwork hidden beneath them. Here, Dr Matt Lodder describes tattoos inked for love, for loyalty, for sedition and espionage and for self-expression, as well as tattoos inflicted on the unwilling, to ostracise. Taken together, these 21 tattoos paint a portrait of humanity as both artist and canvas.