18 Ancient Forms of Punishment That Will Make You Cringe

While there are numerous ways to inflict pain and suffering on individuals, the methods used by our ancestors in medieval times were particularly barbaric. From skinning and quartering to throwing someone down a hole and locking them away forever, the sadistic creativity of our insane predecessors knew no bounds. The torture devices of the past, such as the rack and the heretic's fork, were designed to cause extreme agony and torment. Even the music of Metallica has been used as a form of torture. Explore the 18 most excruciating and demented types of ancient punishment, and be grateful for the progress we have made in treating our fellow humans with compassion and respect.