The History of Body Art
- Modify the human form into the existed culture's concept of ideal physical beauty.
- The adoption of such adornment was considered a part of reaching social maturity. Body art rituals served as an initiation ritual.
- Proof of identity: tribe members and outsiders can identify each other by patterns of their body art.
- Hierarchy: usually, the bigger the body modifications, the higher on the social ladder someone was.
- Ritual defence: body art often was believed to be a talisman.