Needles and Bodies: A Microwear Analysis of Experimental Bone Tattooing Implements

Summary

Tattoos are embodied experiences, ideas, and meanings expressed by groups and individuals. Many Iroquoian populations of Northeastern North America from the Contact period were known for practicing body transformations of this sort. Moreover, the archaeological litterature abunds with cases of Iroquoian bone objects interpreted as tattooing objects. However, such functional interpretations are often proposed without any clear demonstration. In this paper, we present the results of an experimental microwear analysis of replicated bone tattooing implements. We then suggest avenues to further investigate the social dimensions of tattooing practices.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)   •
• Unraveling Social Dynamics through Archaeological Science

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 15500