When I saw the self-portrait my daughter drew in fourth grade last fall, I was confused. “You have earrings in that picture,” I said, staring at the drawing. “But your ears aren’t pierced.” “But they ...

People have pierced their ears for thousands of years for ceremonial, cultural, religious, and decorative purposes. The oldest known example of ear piercing comes from “Ötzi the Iceman,” a man who ...