The history of decorating the body dates back to the caveman -- existing even before the discovery of fire! In the beginning the use of ocher (dirt) mixed with water was used for body and hair painting. Later with the discovery of fire, early man had a pigment-soot which was fine enough to be mixed with water and actually pushed into the skin to form a permanent mark. Since early man did not have metal they were forced to use thorns, quills and bones to get this pigment into the skin. History cannot tell us who was the first to discover the art of tattooing, but since these early times the art has spread around the world. In this display we show some of the major areas where tattooing was not only practiced but also often advanced into an art form.