How Beards Can (Partly) Tell the History of Civilization

Beards have certainly been cause for conversation (and decoration) throughout history, but they've also been a reflection of history itself.

The infographic below from Advanced Dermatology explores the cultural significance of beards, beginning thousands of years ago with Ancient Egyptians and running all the way through the mid-20th century. (And if the current hipster beard and mustache trend is any indication, there will be even more of the story to tell for future generations.)

Beards have long been been symbols and statements related to religion, politics, sports, society—in Ancient Mesopotamia, a long beard signalled a higher social class, and by the 1500s, King Henry VIII and his successor, Queen Elizabeth, made beards a taxable offense (even though Henry sported one himself).

To see just a few of the ways beards have meant different things at different times to different cultures, check out the infographic below and visit the original post for even more info.

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