Tattooing in the South Pacific, 3,000 years ago, was done using volcanic glass tools

New study has revealed that volcanic glass tools, at least 3,000 years old, were used in the South Pacific in prehistoric times for tattooing. In the absence of tattooed human remains, the tools may yield insight into ancient tattooing practices.

The researchers, led by archaeologist Robin Torrence of the Australian Museum, analysed 15 obsidian artefacts from the Nanggu site in the Solomon Islands. It had long been believed that these ancient tools were applied to hides to make cloth and other items from animal skin and hide.

“However, this possible explanation faced the problem that there were extremely limited species of appropriately large animals in the tropical ecological zone that were hunted for the use of their skins ... possum and lizard skins have been used as the membrane of drums, but the skins require very little preparation beyond cutting off the tail and head of the animal,” Torrence told Live Science.

Research over the past 25 years found 5,000-year-old tattoos on a mummy in the Alps. However, such exceptionally preserved human remains are rare and that made it difficult to use them to learn more about the ancient history of tattooing.

Another way of learning the prehistoric art of tattooing was through the tools but until now, archaeologists had discovered only a few ancient tattooing implements. This is because the tools were mostly made from perishable materials.

Torrence believes that the findings of the study, published in Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, will help researchers greatly in identifying and learning more about the use of ancient obsidian tools in other parts of the world “where the practice of tattooing cannot be detected by any other means.”

Makers of the 3,000-year-old tools reshaped naturally-occurring obsidian flakes to give them a sharp, short point on the edges. The scientists found evidence of thin scratches, blunting and rounding of the edges and microscopic chipping. Residual blood, charcoal and ochre were also detected on the Nanggu tools.

“The research demonstrates the antiquity and significance of human body decoration by tattooing as a cultural tradition amongst the earliest settlers of Oceania,” Torrence said.