From Polynesian traditions to modern expressions, tattoos have been used throughout time for religious purposes, as rites of passage or to show social status. Now, they have become a tool for self-expression, with people using their skin as a canvas to tell their story.
A unique class at NAU takes students through the rich and complex world of tattooing—a practice that transcends time, culture and geography— using anthropological frameworks.
Department of Anthropology teaching professor Chrissina Burke started teaching the class with one goal in mind: introducing anthropology’s subfields to students while giving them more perspective into something they are familiar with, share with others or see around them on people across political spectrums, religions, ethnicities, races, genders and ages.
“Through the anthropology subfields, we study modern cultures, our languages, the archaeology of our past and our biology,” Burke said. “Every human culture through time has decorated or modified their bodies, not only through markings or piercings, but with things like makeup, clothing or hairstyles. Humans have a universal need to share their identities with others, and tattoos are a way of representing those identities.”
Tattoos have become a common part of society, and the stigma around them has shifted. Using ink as a point of reference, students in the class learn to understand anthropological concepts that include finding similarities, more than differences, in others around them.
“It’s a fun class to come to from that perspective because it’s sort of novel,” Burke said. “I get students from across the university. Because it’s a general studies and liberal studies course, any student can take it, and it counts toward their requirements for graduation. We end up with students from psychology, art, biology, public health, engineering and even those planning for law school. It allows us to have engaging conversations and worldly discussions without it being threatening.”
The class starts with an icebreaker where students introduce themselves by describing a tattoo they have, one they want to get or the reason why they are not interested in getting one. Burke said this is a moment that equalizes the entire class, encouraging everyone to put aside their differences and acknowledge the shared interest that brings them together.
The class then covers the biology of tattooing, where they learn about the layers of the skin, skin color variation, how tattooing works and why tattoo ink doesn’t fade over time. After that, they cover the archaeology of tattoos.
“We look at mummified humans and the tattoos that are on them, like the Iceman,” Burke said. “We look at the artifacts of different eras and study bone needles and see how they were sharpened to preserve ink. We look at the actual technology, and we talk about how tattooing tools have changed throughout time.”
The students also get to hear firsthand accounts visit the class to talk about their tattoos and what they mean to them. One semester, NAU President José Luis Cruz Rivera shared the stories behind his tattoos.
“These visits help students humanize the people around them,” Burke said. “We watch a lot of videos and read articles. We end the course by looking at cultures and how tattooing can show up with ethnicity, as well as what it looks like when you are looking for a job.”
The class culminates in a group project where students design a tattoo that tells their shared story, which Burke says helps them not only get to know and understand each other but also build lasting relationships with their peers.
“My goal was to help the students learn anthropology, understand how to think about individual identity and build community with other humans that are different from them,” Burke said. “During their final project, every group demonstrated that they understood all the concepts and applications of anthropology. They learned to see that differences are not bad because in the end, we all have something in common.”
ANT 108: The Science, Arts, and Crafts of People: Anthropology of Tattooing is offered every fall semester, providing students with a unique opportunity to learn a complex science through firsthand experiences.
Mariana Laas | NAU Communications
(928) 523-5050 | mariana.laas@nau.edu