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Stretched Earlobes Are a Human Tradition

The history of body modification is as long as human history itself. People from various cultures and time periods throughout the world have stretched their earlobes because the cartilage of the ear has adequate strength to hold up large pieces of jewelry placed in pierced and stretched earlobes. We think of stretching a modern practice but it has actually been a tradition for many cultures for thousands of years.

The Ancient World

Body piercings and stretched lobes were done in ritualistic...