Psychotic Ink

It's a permanent reminder of a temporary feeling, sings Jimmy Buffett of parents dismay over their daughter's tattoo. Yet those indelible body markings are more than a trend embraced by merchant marines, bikers, and goths in basic black. Tattoos arise from a rich cultural history dating back 5, 000 years. The earliest record of tattoos, to date, was found in 1991 on the frozen remains of the Copper Age Iceman scientists have named tzi. His lower back, ankles, knees, and a foot were marked with a series of tiny lines, made by rubbing powdered charcoal into vertical cuts.