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7 unlikely status symbols throughout history, from pineapples to mummy-unwrapping parties

Nidhi PandurangiAug 28, 2023, 08:21 IST

7 unlikely status symbols throughout history, from pineapples to mummy unwrapping parties and fake ruins.Tumsubin/Shutterstock

Pineapples were all the rage in the 1700s.
The word "salary" is derived from the word "salt," which was once an emblem of social status.

1. Salt was once worth its weight in gold.

Michelle Lee Photography/Getty Images; bhofack2/Getty Images

2. Body modifications were all the rage in Asia.

Young Tonkin with teeth painted black, 1905.Common source/ wikimedia

3. Pineapples were once considered to be the epitome of luxury.

Pineapple is not only a delicious snack, but a healthy one, too.Huyen Nguyen / EyeEm/Getty Images

4. Mummy-unwrapping parties were all the rage in the 18th and 19th century.

The mummy inside its sarcophagus.Sahar Saleem

5. Crumbling structures were the hottest party spots in Victorian England.

Ruins of an old medieval castle - stock photoManuel Breva Colmeiro/ Getty

6. White sugar was once a prized possession, and nowhere was its status more on display than in the white icing on a cake.

Wedding cake.JOHN STILLWELL / Getty Images

7. In the late 2010s, urban chickens became the Teslas of Silicon Valley's tech elite.

Indoor farm of hens that lay eggs. - stock photoKARRASTOCK/ Getty

Cost of living in 10 of Florida's major cities, ranked cheapest to most expensive