ABSTRACT
Tattoos tell fascinating (hi)stories of our respective times, cultures, and individual biographies. While there exist numerous studies on contemporary tattoo cultures, the reappraisal of historical tattoo cultures around the world is still in its infancy. This chapter is dedicated to Iran’s ancient tattoo culture. It draws attention to the fascinating traces of this millennia-old practice, much of which is still to be discovered. Iranian tattoo culture possesses a specificity that enriches Tattoo Studies as a whole: over a fairly long historical period women actively participated in it. Following an overview of our current state of knowledge, and based on extant studies as well as additional evidence, I discuss the functions of the tattoo as observed in the Iranian context. These observations may offer us a preliminary understanding as to why this cultural technique was—and still is—especially important for some Iranian women.
