Under the Skin

The EXARC Show

It's the first Friday of the month! And that means it's time to listen in to the latest episode of Finally Friday, where this month we look at a really fascinating topic of experimental research - ancient tattooing.

Aaron Deter-Wolf is the prehistoric archaeologist for the Tennessee Division of Archaeology in Nashville, Tennessee in the USA. While his work in this role encompasses a wide range of archaeological research, his main focus of interest is on the archaeological footprint of tattooing, in which topic he has conducted a lot of experimental research.

Maya Sialuk Jacobsen is a professional tattoo artist and private researcher based in Svendborg, Denmark. Her experience in tattooing led to her specialising in traditional methods, particularly revitalising the tattooing traditions of her own Inuit culture. Her work focuses on documenting the patterns and meaning of tattoos in the past, and ensuring that the revival of Inuit tattoos in the present remains safe and authentic to the original meaning of this important tradition.

What did tattooing look like in the past, and how can we identify that archaeologically? How common was tattooing in the past? What are the ethics surrounding experimental tattooing and the study of ethnographic tattooing practices? These are just a few of many questions answered by our guests so listen in on your favourite podcasting platform to hear all about it!

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