Dr Matt Lodder explores 5,000 years of tattooing history – from Otzi the Iceman, to King Edward VII
Throughout history, people have got tattooed for a huge range of reasons, whether religious devotion, artistic expression, or to demonstrate cultural belonging – or cultural difference. Dr Matt Lodder talks to Charlotte Hodgman about 5,000 years of tattooing history, exploring everything from the punishment tattoos of ancient China to the pilgrim tattoos adopted by Victorian aristocrats, including a future king.
Matt Lodder is the author of Painted People: Humanity in 21 Tattoos (HarperCollins)