3. Gibbeting
Third place on our list of most brutal ways people were sentenced to death goes to Gibbeting that was used when the authorities wanted to send a strong and clear message to the people. This form of public execution was reserved for the most hardened criminals, like pirates. It was first mentioned in the Old Testament. There were several methods of gibbeting. One included a metal cage, prominently displayed. The other, called hanging in chains, saw its victims bound in chains and left hanging. This method was used on Captain Kidd, a notorious pirate captain. In some cases, bodies were left on display long after the victims died of thirst and were reduced to mere bones, which were then scattered without a proper burial, adding yet another punishment to the victims.
