These tools allowed them to see beneath the skin’s surface, revealing a previously invisible layer of ancient body art. Ancient Tattoo Tools And Techniques RevealedThe study also resolved a long-debated question: how were Iron Age tattoos applied? The team confirmed the use of stick-and-poke techniques, in which pigment is manually inserted into the skin using sharp tools. In a rare move, one member of the research team replicated the method by tattooing his own leg using ancient techniques. That mix suggests the tattoos weren’t just tribal markings or ceremonial symbols.