In the summer of 1403, amidst a rebellion threatening England's stability, two opposing English armies clashed near Shrewsbury. Among them was Prince Henry (later King Henry V), facing a perilous...
The story of King Henry VIII's ulcerated leg offers a glimpse into the complexities of his reign. Following a jousting accident in 1536, the monarch's once-promising demeanor took a downturn, marked...
In an article authored by Craig Considine and published in The Huffington Post , the veil is lifted on a profound historic oversight in some educational curriculums: the neglect of Muslim...
In a scientific first, an international team of researchers from the United Kingdom, Switzerland and the United States has found evidence to suggest that at least one species of animal was passing...
Longstanding beliefs about ancient technological and medical knowledge were placed under scrutiny when Paul T. Keyser's published an article in the 1990s challenging the conventional narrative of...
Living in medieval cities exposed residents to a myriad of afflictions stemming from unsanitary conditions and limited medical knowledge. Leprosy , caused by the Mycobacterium leprae bacteria, was a...
Around 30,000 years ago in Borneo, an ancient surgeon performed a groundbreaking operation on a child with a severe leg injury. Using rudimentary tools likely made of stone, they skillfully severed...
At a time when human beings are suffering from a host of illnesses caused by stress and modern-day living, the need for ancient wisdom has never been more important. In fact, many people have become...
Pragya Agarwal /The Conversation In the medieval period, medical science was still dominated by the ancient writings of Hippocrates from the fifth century and Galen of Pergamon from the second...
As long as life has existed on earth, so have issues associated with maintaining health and the remediation of disease. Today, when many of us get sick, our first course of action is to call the...
In a new chemical analysis performed on ceramic vases recovered during excavations at the ancient metropolis of Cotzumalhuapa in southwestern Guatemala, a team of researchers from Yale University and...
A brilliant and comprehensive new study has analyzed the DNA of almost 10,000 people from ancient and pre-modern societies, and found 6 cases of Down syndrome in past or ancient human populations...
With the advent of modern medicine, it’s hard to imagine the role taste had in the preparation of ancient botanical remedies. In layman terms, taste and flavor had a huge role to play in their...
While digging at the site of a rural, first-century AD Roman settlement in Houten-Castellum in the Netherlands, archaeologists uncovered a most unusual artifact. Inside a hollowed-out animal bone,...
When it comes to historical jobs that will make your skin crawl, leech collecting certainly tops the list. While today, leeches might be an oddity or a relic of ancient medicine, they were once...
In ancient Greece, pregnancy was far from the experience we know today. The era was marked by perilous uncertainty for expectant mothers and their unborn children. The duty of women was clear:...
During the Golden Age of Piracy danger was constant. Facing bullets, splinters, and diseases like scurvy, yellow fever, malaria, and smallpox, skilled surgeons were a necessity. 18th-century pirate...
In the 14th century , European hygiene during the Black Plague was far from ideal. Bathing was infrequent, and people resorted to remedies like vinegar and even urine to combat the disease due to a...
Royal childbirths, a far cry from today's private affairs, were once grand spectacles, laden with political significance. Public scrutiny was the norm, with hundreds of onlookers present to confirm...
Thanks to their penchant for human sacrifice the Aztecs have a rather gruesome reputation, but what was their hygiene like? As it turns out, they upheld remarkable standards of hygiene. Their...
Within the captivating tapestry of Japanese history , a fascinating link emerges between Samurai culture and the realm of real indigo. Tucked away in Tokushima, Japan, a region steeped in tradition,...
Nestled within the depths of Peru's Amazonian mountains lies a fading tradition that speaks to centuries of natural healing: curanderismo . At 86 years old, Rosendo Amasifuen stands as the final link...
While certain ancient remedies have received quite a bad rap in the modern era, it appears that some beliefs related to the healing properties of copper may have been spot on. Copper’s use in...
In the 16th century, a groundbreaking medical book emerged, now revered as one of the most influential of its time. Andreas Vesalius's De humani corporis fabrica (‘On the Fabric of the Human Body’)...