Did You Know?
In Renaissance Europe, people believed that carrying oranges prevented the plague.
Doctors would stuff the beaks of their plague masks with orange peels and aromatic herbs, believing this would prevent infection. While ineffective against the plague, this practice led to the development of aromatherapy and influenced medieval medicine.
Did You Know?
The Ancient Greeks would vote to banish citizens using pottery shards.
Known as ostracism, citizens would write the name of someone they wanted exiled on pottery shards called ostraka....
Did You Know?
Medieval European courts employed professional jesters to criticize the king.
Court jesters were often the only people allowed to criticize rulers openly. Their role as entertainers provided immunity...
Did You Know?
In Victorian England, people would pose dead relatives for photographs.
Post-mortem photography was a common practice, often being the only photograph ever taken of a person. Specialized photographers...