Explore the most gruesome ancient methods of execution, from the slow torment of Scaphism to the brutal sawing technique. Discover the horrifying practices used throughout history to punish and terrorize.

Sawing

In execution by sawing, the condemned was hung upside-down or stood upright while being sawn in half. Starting from the groin or head, the saw would cut through the body, often keeping the victim alive until major blood vessels were severed. This brutal method was used in the Middle East, Europe, and parts of Asia, and was famously favored by Emperor Caligula.

Scaphism

Scaphism, or the “boats” method, involved placing the victim in two narrow rowboats or a hollowed-out tree trunk with only their head, hands, and feet exposed. They were forced to drink milk and honey, attracting insects that would devour their flesh, leading to death by dehydration, starvation, and septic shock. This method was used in ancient Persia and by Native American Indians.

Necklacing

 In necklacing, a rubber tire filled with gasoline was placed around the victim’s chest and arms, then set on fire. This gruesome method was used in South Africa during the anti-apartheid struggle, and also occurred in Brazil, Haiti, and Nigeria.

Flaying

Execution by flaying involved removing the victim’s skin while keeping it intact. This ancient method was used by Assyrians and Aztecs, among others. Although no longer lawful, reports of flaying surfaced as recently as 2000 in Myanmar.

Boiling

The condemned was either placed in a vat of boiling liquid or in a vat that was heated to boiling. Liquids used included water, oil, acid, or molten lead. This method was especially reserved for poisoners during the reign of Henry VIII.

Breaking Wheel

 Also known as the Catherine wheel, this medieval execution method involved attaching the victim to a cart wheel and breaking their bones with a heavy metal bar. The wheel was then hoisted on a pole for birds to peck at the body. Death could take days from shock and dehydration, though some victims were strangled first.

Ling Chi

 Ling chi, or “death by a thousand cuts,” was practiced in China until 1905. The victim was slowly cut in various parts of their body before being beheaded or stabbed in the heart. Western accounts of this method often exaggerated its duration.

Burning

Burning at the stake involved tying the victim to a stake surrounded by wood or straw. The fire would burn the victim in stages, from their legs up to their head. This method was used for executing witches in Europe, though not in England.

Hanging, Drawing, and Quartering

This gruesome method was used in England for treason. The condemned was dragged behind a horse, hanged until nearly dead, disemboweled, emasculated, and then beheaded. The body was cut into quarters and displayed as a warning.

Brazen Bull

The Brazen Bull was a hollow brass bull with a door for the victim. Once inside, a fire was lit beneath the bull, roasting the person alive. Tubes in the bull’s head amplified their screams, making them sound like a bull’s roar. Perilaus, the inventor, was the first victim, tricked into the bull by the tyrant Phalaris.