In the 16th century, anatomy lessons were public spectacles. Doctors dissected the bodies of executed criminals in front of paying audiences, often by candlelight and sometimes with live music. Andreas Vesalius, whose anatomy book became hugely influential, argued that the study of the body should not be confined to physicians. As demand grew through the 18th century, students fought for seats in crowded theatres, and a shortage of bodies led to grave-robbing. Surgeons themselves became showmen, and Robert Liston was known for fast amputations, reportedly holding the knife in his teeth. Women were rarely present, and the first woman to watch an operation in Britain as a future surgeon, in 1860, was Elizabeth Garrett Anderson. By the early 20th century, anaesthesia had removed the need for speed, and the discovery that spectators spread germs ended the audiences. Operating rooms became the sterile, closed spaces we know today.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.