An article on abc.net.au courtesy of Australian National University - Archaeologists find world's oldest human bone tattooing kit - reports on Australian researchers who have unearthed the oldest tattoo tools in the Pacific.

Drawing of Tongan tatatau by Louis Auguste de Sainson, official draughtsman of the voyage of Jules-Sebastien-Cesar Dumon d'Urville 1826-1829 on the corvette Astrolabe. Source: Mallon & Galliot 2018

Researchers have uncovered the world's oldest known tattooist's kit. Associate Professor Geoffrey Clark, Department of Archaeology & Natural History of Australian National University, reveals that one of the most startling conclusions is that two of the four tattooing tools found are made from human bone.

Tattooing day in Samoa 1868-70. Source: Mallon & Galliot 2018

The intricate, multi-toothed tattooing tools were found on Tongatapu Island - Tonga's main island. Radiocarbon dating found them to be around 2,700 years old, making them the oldest confirmed tattooing combs found in Oceania.

Further reading:
Discovery of World's earliest figural tattoos