Mesoamerican Tattoos

Gallery of Mesoamerican style tattoos that can be filtered by subject, body part and size.

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Mesoamerican tattoos are inspired mainly by ancient Mayan civilization, with influences from the Aztec Empire.

Warriors and prominent members of Mayan society tattooed every part of their body as a display of bravery and strength of spirit. Body modification was integral to daily life and served a very important role in sociopolitical status.

The Aztec Empire was shorter lived than the Mayan civilization. While theyโ€™re believed to have also practiced tattooing, there is not as much physical evidence. As such, modern tattoo tributes to Aztec heritage rely thematically on their artifacts: masks, pottery, statues, mosaics and painted walls. The same is often true for modern Mayan-inspired tattoos, which pull designs from their relics, not always from their tattoo culture.

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