18 Strange Customs From Ancient Cultures

People created traditions to honor gods, mark social status, or celebrate life and death. Some of these practices appear unusual to modern eyes. However, they reveal fascinating insights into human creativity and belief. Here are 18 strange customs from ancient cultures.

1. 1. Foot Binding in Ancient China

Foot binding began in China during the 10th century and quickly spread among elite families as a symbol of beauty, refinement, and social status. The process started when girls were as young as five; their toes were bent under the sole and tightly bound, breaking bones to force the feet into an arched, lotus-like shape.

2. 2. Mayan Bloodletting Rituals

Among the ancient Maya, blood was seen as the ultimate offering to the gods, a life force connecting humans to the divine. Rulers and nobles performed elaborate bloodletting rituals by piercing their tongues, ears, or genitals with obsidian blades or stingray spines.

3. 3. Viking Ship Burials

Viking burials were a dramatic fusion of faith, honor, and spectacle. High-ranking warriors and nobles were laid to rest inside ships; they were sometimes set aflame and sent adrift, other times buried beneath earth mounds. The ship symbolized a vessel to Valhalla, ensuring safe passage to the afterlife.

4. 4. Ancient Egyptian Mummification

For the ancient Egyptians, death was merely the beginning of an eternal journey. To ensure a safe passage to the afterlife, the body had to be preserved through the complex process of mummification. Embalmers removed internal organs, dried the body with natron salt, and wrapped it in linen, sometimes over hundreds of layers.

5. 5. Spartan Baby Inspections

In ancient Sparta, even infancy was a test of strength. Shortly after birth, newborns were inspected by city elders for signs of health and physical perfection. If deemed weak or deformed, the infant was often abandoned on a mountainside: a harsh reflection of Sparta’s devotion to military supremacy.

6. 6. Human Sacrifice by the Aztecs

The Aztecs believed their gods required human hearts and blood to sustain the universe. On temple platforms high above Tenochtitlan, priests performed ritual sacrifices using obsidian knives, cutting open victims’ chests and offering still-beating hearts to the sun god, Huitzilopochtli.

7. 7. Skull Shaping in Ancient Mesoamerica

In parts of Mesoamerica, including the Maya and Inca regions, parents shaped infants’ skulls by binding them between boards or wrapping them tightly in cloth. The soft bones of early childhood allowed the head to grow into elongated or flattened shapes.

8. 8. Japanese Seppuku

Seppuku, or ritual suicide, was a solemn act of honor among samurai who faced disgrace or defeat. Using a short sword, the warrior would disembowel himself while a second, known as the kaishakunin, stood ready to deliver a swift, merciful beheading.

9. 9. Celtic Head-Hunting

To the ancient Celts, the head was the seat of the soul and a source of mystical power. Warriors proudly took the heads of fallen enemies as trophies, often displaying them on poles or mounting them in their homes. Some skulls were even preserved in cedar oil or incorporated into architecture.

10. 10. Roman Vomitoriums (Myth and Reality)

The term “vomitorium” is one of history’s most misunderstood concepts. In architecture, it referred to the passageways in Roman amphitheaters that allowed large crowds to “spew forth” after events; it was not a room for purging food.

11. 11. Incan Child Sacrifice

High in the Andean mountains, the Inca performed Capacocha ceremonies to honor their gods, especially after natural disasters or royal deaths. Children chosen for their purity and beauty were prepared with ritual care, dressed in fine garments, and given ceremonial meals before being led to their fate.

12. 12. Teeth Filing in Ancient Africa

In several African societies, altering teeth wasn’t just aesthetic; it was identity. People in regions such as the Congo and Tanzania filed their teeth into sharp points, patterns, or gaps to mark tribal belonging or beauty. The procedure was performed without anesthesia using primitive tools, symbolizing endurance and bravery.

13. 13. Roman Gladiatorial Games

Gladiatorial combat was one of Rome’s grandest and bloodiest entertainments. Slaves, criminals, and sometimes volunteers fought in vast arenas like the Colosseum before cheering crowds and emperors. However, these weren’t mere fights to the death; they were highly ritualized performances celebrating bravery, skill, and the favor of the gods.

14. 14. Tibetan Sky Burials

In Tibet’s harsh mountain terrain, cremation and traditional burials were often impossible. Instead, Buddhists developed the jhator or “sky burial,” a sacred practice where bodies were dismembered and left atop cliffs for vultures to consume.

15. 15. Egyptian Animal Worship

Animals in ancient Egypt were more than companions; they were divine symbols. Cats represented Bastet, the goddess of protection; crocodiles embodied Sobek, the god of strength; and scarab beetles symbolized rebirth. Egyptians built temples, bred sacred animals, and even mummified them for burial alongside humans.

16. 16. Ancient Hawaiian Taboo System (Kapu)

The Hawaiian Kapu system governed every aspect of life: religion, politics, food, and relationships. Breaking a kapu wasn’t just illegal; it was a sin against the gods, often punishable by death. For example, women couldn’t eat with men or consume certain foods like bananas and pork, which were reserved for male deities.

17. 17. Chinese Oracle Bones

Before paper or ink, ancient Chinese diviners carved questions into ox bones or turtle shells, then heated them until they cracked. The resulting patterns were interpreted as answers from ancestors or gods. These oracle bones recorded topics ranging from weather and crops to wars and royal births.

18. 18. Roman Saturnalia

Saturnalia was ancient Rome’s most joyous and chaotic festival, dedicated to Saturn, the god of agriculture. Held each December, it upended normal social order: slaves dined with masters, gambling was permitted, and people exchanged gifts.

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