The development of technology and new research methods allows us to claim that we know a lot about how people lived in the past. But the more we discover their daily life, the more this knowledge is fascinating, since some of the practices of the ancients turn out to be too strange even by modern standards.
We have collected 10 facts about ancient people that will be difficult for you to believe.
1. Women used lead and sulfur to color their hair
People have dyed their hair since ancient times, but the lack of knowledge in chemistry and the misuse of harmful substances often ended badly for their health. The ancients also used plant materials to color their hair, but this effect did not last long. But the Greeks and Romans used a persistent dye, which consisted of various chemicals, including sulfur.
In the 1700s, Italians loved to use a corrosive lye solution on their hair to give it a golden hue. Many European ladies have used saffron and sulfur powder in an attempt to become more attractive. But Afghans believed that dyeing hair in different colors could cure headaches.
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2. Glass beads and ground rubber were used as breast implants
Since ancient times, women have used various means to enhance their appearance and enhance their beauty. The chest was no exception. Some women have used homemade "breast growth creams" to make them look fuller. Others did the massage by rubbing coconut oil into their breasts.
However, the first breast surgery was performed only in 1895 by Vincenz Cerny. He needed to make the patient's breast after he excised the tumor. After this experience, doctors began using various materials for breast augmentation: ivory, glass beads, ground rubber, and other fillers.
3. Animal droppings were used for medicinal purposes
It may seem wild to you, but in fact it is a proven fact: ancient people used animal dung to cure various diseases. For example, women in ancient Greece believed that crocodile droppings could be used as a powerful contraceptive, so they inserted it into the vagina.
The warriors of Ancient Egypt used animal dung to heal wounds. Sheep dung was used in Scottish folk medicine to treat smallpox, and fresh pig dung was used to stop nosebleeds. Simple tip: don't try this at home.
4. Doctors drilled holes in people's heads to drive out evil spirits
Physicians have always been very interested in the human body and have used several "proven" therapies to cure their patients of many diseases. One of these methods was trepanation (drilling holes in the skull). Doctors believed it could cure illnesses such as seizures, headaches, and infections. Moreover, they believed that diseases appeared in a person's body due to an evil spirit trapped inside his head, and therefore they drilled a hole to expel him.
Fortunately, by the end of the Middle Ages, this practice was almost completely discontinued. Careful studies of the remains have shown that some patients managed to survive after such extreme treatments.
5. Women were not allowed to cry at funerals
Usually, funerals in ancient Rome began with a procession through the streets of the city. Grieving relatives of the deceased took part in it. It was believed that the more people attended the funeral, the more respected the person was. Families sometimes hired women to cry to impress the crowd. To make their despair believable, the women scratched their cheeks, smeared blood across their faces, and tore their hair out.
Later this tradition was considered too extreme and negative. It got to the point that a law was passed prohibiting the hiring of professional mourners, since their actions evoked strong emotions and were incompatible with the idea of a calm life for the citizens of Rome.
6. Fathers could legally kill their daughters' lovers
Fathers had great power over their families, and especially over unmarried daughters. In fact, they had the right to choose a husband for them. The rules were very strict and daughters were not allowed to have an intimate relationship with any man before marriage.
Moreover, the father had the legal right to kill his daughter's lover (and even her) if he caught them committing adultery. If he only killed one of the lovers, he could be charged with murder. An interesting fact: a woman in Rome has always belonged to her father's family, even if she got married.
7. In ancient Rome, a father could sell his sons into slavery. But no more than three times
You read that correctly! In ancient Rome, the father was the head of the family and had absolute power over his wife, children, and household. He even had the right to decide whether to leave the newborn child in the family.
Also, fathers were given the legal right to sell their sons into slavery. If the person who bought the "slave" no longer needed him, he returned home. However, selling a child into slavery could only be three times, otherwise the father would be considered a bad parent. He could even kill a member of his family with impunity. Fortunately, not all fathers were so cruel.
8. Doctors used garlic as a "test" for pregnancy
Lack of detailed medical knowledge of anatomy prevented doctors from knowing exactly why some women might get pregnant and others might not. However, they used certain natural methods to confirm pregnancy.
In 1350 BC. e. the woman was advised to moisten wheat seeds with urine. Sprouted seeds indicated pregnancy. Another way to confirm pregnancy is to place a clove of garlic or onion in the woman's vagina. The next morning, the doctor checked the woman's breath. If he smelled garlic, it was a sign of pregnancy. Thank God we have modern medicine.
9. In ancient Egypt, people shaved off their eyebrows to mourn their cats
People in ancient Egypt worshiped cats and believed that they brought good luck to the families with whom they lived. Bastet - the goddess of the home, cats and fertility, was portrayed either as a cat or as a woman with a cat's head. These animals were sacred, and anyone who harmed them was sentenced to death.
If the cat living in the family died, all its members had to shave their eyebrows. The animal's body was embalmed, and the tiny mummy was placed in a family tomb or in a cat cemetery.
Interesting fact: Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan, Napoleon and Hitler suffered from ailurophobia - a fear of cats.
10. There were public toilets in ancient Rome
You already know that the inhabitants of Ancient Rome used every means available to them to maintain personal hygiene. They regularly visited public baths and toilets, and used exfoliators and sponges.
However, only the truly wealthy could afford to build a private bathroom or toilet in their own home. Therefore, 95% of the population used public toilets, which were built from massive stones or wood. The toilets looked like long lavas with holes cut at a distance of about a meter. Waste in the sewerage was washed off with running water from the baths. Since privacy was not common for the Romans, they hardly felt any discomfort in this situation.
Anna Pismenna