there is no known historicallyin the past accepted record of tattooing

Well, no knows. as no knows what the oldest tattoos look like. However, archaeologists have discovered a mummified body up to 7000 years elderly which show signs of having tattoos. This mummy was present in the Alps, with carbon tattoos consisting of simple dots & lines. Since this was before most civilizations discovered writing, they have no idea who they was or why they had a tattoo. Of coursework, the archaeologists have their theories, but without solid facts, they are guessing.
Now, the oldest documented cases of tattoos are Greek in 1000 BC & Egyptian in 2000 BC. No knows how to read ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, so archaeologists are fundamentally guessing that the Egyptian tattoos were related to fertility. On the other hand, the Greek & Roman tattoos were usually used to permanently mark their slaves & criminals. Only in 6th century AD did the practice of tattoos spread to other parts of Roman society. Some records state that veteran Roman soldiers serving in Britain were tattooed as an honor of some kind.
Despite the age of Chinese civilizations, there is no known historicallyin the past accepted record of tattooing. Apparently, like the Greeks & Romans, they had a taboo against tattoos. This is unlike the Japanese, who were recorded sporting religious tattoos in 300 BC. Interestingly , tattoos in Japan did not become associated with the criminal element before widespread contact with the Western world in the 1800s.
The other major Asian civilization, India, also did not have a history of permanent tattoos. They do, however, have temporary tattoos for cosmetic use by brides. This culture of temporary tattoos for bridal ceremonies have existed since the 12th century, & are created using henna. This usage of henna seems to have come from the Egyptians & Arabs as early as 5000 years ago. The Egyptians used henna to decorate their Pharaohs before the mummification system.
Nowadays, tattoos have lost their religious angle. They also do not use it to mark criminals, unlike the ancient Greeks & Romans. Even the association with criminals is fading in modern Western civilization. Young ladies are now sporting discrete lower back tattoos as fashion statements. Hollywood celebrities are further popularizing the purely cosmetic use of tattoos.
As you can see from this brief history, tattoos have a rich & colorful past. modern improvement to the art of tattooing is the creation of online membership sites & forums on the net where you can look for hundreds or even thousands of tattoo designs. While your ancestors may have had to basically hope for the best with their crude tattoos, you no longer have the same limit.