Otzi the iceman is the natural mummy of a man who lived between 3350 and 3105 BC.
He had tattoos on his skin which corresponded with acupuncture points which would be used today to treat his health problems...You can read more about this here...
Acupuncture developed from acupressure, using either hand or sharp pointed objects...Like these Ancient Chinese acupuncture / acupressure bone "needles". The acupuncture (acupressure with penetration of the skin) is much later invention...
The speculation is that the ancient healer marked the spots on Otzi's body and told him to apply acupressure when his problems got worse...
Other cultures where tattoos were interpreted as therapeutic/acupressure maps:
Pazyryk culture, Altai/Siberian region, Iron Age, c. 5th–3rd centuries BC
Tattoos over joints and the lower back have been compared with therapeutic tattooing in other populations. You can read more about this in The Tattooed and the Social Environment: The Cultural Heritage of Tattooing: A Brief History.
Chiribaya culture, Southern Peru, approximately 1000 years ago
Circular tattoos on a woman's neck may have had a therapeutic purpose because of their proximity to acupuncture points; ritual or protective purposes are also possible.
You can read more about it in Different staining substances were used in decorative and therapeutic tattoos in a 1000-year-old Peruvian mummy
St. Lawrence Island Yupiget (Yupik), Alaska, historically documented
Therapeutic tattoo punctures around joints were used against pain and ligament complaints; the practice has been compared to acupuncture.
You can read more about this in Can Tattoos Be Medicinal
Unangan, (Aleut) Aleutian Islands, Alaska
Joint tattooing has been documented as a preventive or treatment for bodily pain and arthritic complaints.
You can read more about this in The Tattooed and the Social Environment: The Cultural Heritage of Tattooing: A Brief History.
Kayan Sarawak, Borneo
Therapeutic tattoos placed around joints have been compared with Ötzi's tattoos in location and presumed function.
You can read more about this in The Tattooed and the Social Environment: The Cultural Heritage of Tattooing: A Brief History.
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