New facts in the history of cleanliness: what was before the invention of modern soap
Soap has a fairly simple formula and a long history. But for centuries, water was the primary means of bathing. For example, in the Indus Valley Civilization—a culture that flourished in parts of what is now Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan from 2600 to 1900 BCE—the Great Bath at Mohenjo-Daro is thought to be one of the earliest public steam baths. But steam only lasts so long.
Archaeologists have figured out why ritual tooth extraction was practiced in ancient Taiwan and other parts of Asia
Although dental ablation has been documented among groups around the world, it is most often associated with early Austronesian communities, which included people in Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and Polynesia. The first evidence of the procedure dates back to around 4,800 BCE, during the Neolithic period, and the tradition continued into the early 20th century.