Facial Disfiguration: Why Has The Face Been The Target Of Punishment Across Time?
IFLScience••health
Key Points:
- Facial disfigurement has been used across history and cultures as a form of punishment and humiliation, targeting the face due to its central role in identity, beauty, and social meaning.
- Early evidence of intentional facial mutilation dates back to Neolithic times, with practices such as cutting off noses or ears common in ancient Egypt, Medieval Europe, and India, often linked to moral or legal transgressions.
- Women have frequently been the primary targets of facial disfigurement, especially in cases related to sexual or moral offenses, with historical laws prescribing such punishments for adultery and other perceived sins.
- In modern times, acid attacks have become a prevalent method of facial disfigurement, often motivated by personal revenge in romantic or
