The practice of body adornment has roots reaching back at least 30,000 years. Evidence at archaelogical sites in Africa has uncovered forms of body modification, including flesh permanently marked either by a knife or tattoo needle and elongated earlobes and necks. These and many other practices have fascinated the Western world for years; the body decorations are seen as exotic distortions which served numerous purposes in various cultures.
Cultures cite different reasons for body adornment and celebrate the the body as "a ground on which all cultures inscribe significant meaning." Hewitt explains that body mutilation has long been part of non-Christian cultures as a positive mark of identity, while in many modern Western cultures permanently marking the body has been considered degrading or deviant. While discussing the role that body art plays in today's Western society, it is imperative to realize the influence it has in every other culture. The history of body art is rich......

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Title: Body Art
Approximate Word Count: 439
Approximate Pages: 2 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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