Jul 15, 2025 02:59 PM
(This post was last modified: Jul 15, 2025 03:10 PM by C C.)
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1090986
INTRO: It turns out the Dark Ages weren’t all that dark! According to new research, medieval medicine was way more sophisticated than previously thought, and some of its remedies are trending today on TikTok.
A new international research project featuring faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York reveals that people in the Middle Ages weren’t cooped up in castles, wallowing in superstition. They were developing health practices based on the best knowledge they had at the time – some of which mirror modern wellness trends.
“People were engaging with medicine on a much broader scale than had previously been thought,” said Meg Leja, an associate professor of history at Binghamton University who specializes in the political and cultural history of late antique and medieval Europe. “They were concerned about cures, they wanted to observe the natural world and jot down bits of information wherever they could in this period known as the ‘Dark Ages.’”
The Corpus of Early Medieval Latin Medicine (CEMLM), funded by the British Academy, has collected hundreds of medieval manuscripts containing medical material predating the 11th century. Countless manuscripts that have been left out of previous catalogs were included, nearly doubling the number of known medical manuscripts from the Dark Ages.
Some of the recipes resemble health hacks promoted by modern-day influencers, from topical ointments to detox cleanses. Have a headache? Crush the stone of a peach, mix it with rose oil and smear it on your forehead. It might sound odd, but one study published in 2017 showed that rose oil may actually help alleviate migraine pain.
Then there’s lizard shampoo, where you take pieces of lizard to help your hair become more luscious and flowing – or even to remove it, a modern-day parallel to waxing.
“A lot of things that you see in these manuscripts are actually being promoted online currently as alternative medicine, but they have been around for thousands of years,” said Leja... (MORE - details, no ads)
INTRO: It turns out the Dark Ages weren’t all that dark! According to new research, medieval medicine was way more sophisticated than previously thought, and some of its remedies are trending today on TikTok.
A new international research project featuring faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York reveals that people in the Middle Ages weren’t cooped up in castles, wallowing in superstition. They were developing health practices based on the best knowledge they had at the time – some of which mirror modern wellness trends.
“People were engaging with medicine on a much broader scale than had previously been thought,” said Meg Leja, an associate professor of history at Binghamton University who specializes in the political and cultural history of late antique and medieval Europe. “They were concerned about cures, they wanted to observe the natural world and jot down bits of information wherever they could in this period known as the ‘Dark Ages.’”
The Corpus of Early Medieval Latin Medicine (CEMLM), funded by the British Academy, has collected hundreds of medieval manuscripts containing medical material predating the 11th century. Countless manuscripts that have been left out of previous catalogs were included, nearly doubling the number of known medical manuscripts from the Dark Ages.
Some of the recipes resemble health hacks promoted by modern-day influencers, from topical ointments to detox cleanses. Have a headache? Crush the stone of a peach, mix it with rose oil and smear it on your forehead. It might sound odd, but one study published in 2017 showed that rose oil may actually help alleviate migraine pain.
Then there’s lizard shampoo, where you take pieces of lizard to help your hair become more luscious and flowing – or even to remove it, a modern-day parallel to waxing.
“A lot of things that you see in these manuscripts are actually being promoted online currently as alternative medicine, but they have been around for thousands of years,” said Leja... (MORE - details, no ads)