The History of Health and Medicine –
Prehistoric Medicine 3000 BC to AD 43
The History of Health
and Medicine
Prehistoric Medicine
3000 BC to AD 43
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Medicine in Prehistoric Times
MLO: What was prehistoric medicine like?
Learning Outcomes: Know some features of prehistoric
medicine (C)
Explain why prehistoric people used the remedies they did
(B)
Assess the usefulness of information/evidence available on
the lives of prehistoric people
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Learning objectives
Learning objectives
What we will learn in this presentation:
Which sources we can use to tell us about
prehistoric times.
What health and medicine were like in
prehistoric times.
How medical knowledge varied in different
parts of the world.
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How do we know?
How do we know about what life was like so long ago?
There were no written records available at this time, so
we have to rely on the findings of archaeologists.
Archaeologists have studied
skeletons from prehistoric times
(including ones found individually
and those found in large tombs) and
well-preserved bodies found in peat
bogs. Cave paintings can also give
evidence of what life was like.
What type of evidence do you think can be discovered
from the study of skeletons?
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Pickled evidence
The study of skeletons and preserved bodies can yield the
following evidence:
what sorts of diseases prehistoric
people suffered from
what condition their bones and teeth
were in
whether physical work or warfare
caused death or deformity
what they ate for their last meal
how old they were when they died.
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Life in prehistoric times
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Health in prehistoric times
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Death in prehistoric times
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Medical knowledge and beliefs
Archaeologists have found
some evidence that suggests
what the beliefs of prehistoric
people were. Cave paintings
give clues about what people
thought caused some diseases.
Other evidence, such as
charms, provide further clues
about these beliefs.
To confirm their ideas, historians have talked to groups of
people, such as some Aborigines in Australia, whose
lifestyles have not changed for thousands of years. By
examining their beliefs and practices we can get an insight
into prehistoric life.
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Aboriginal beliefs and treatments
Those Aborigines who still follow their traditional culture
believe that everyone has their own spirit inside
themselves. If a person becomes ill, it is because their spirit
has left them, or an evil spirit has entered their body.
To get treatment, Aborigines
go to a Medicine Man who
knows all about spirits. He
puts his patient into a trance
by singing and chanting and
then massages the sick area
which releases the spirit and
the patient is cured.
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Aboriginal beliefs and treatments
Traditionally, Aborigines also wore charms to keep evil
spirits away, and buried their cut-off nails and hair and
their excrement, probably to prevent spirits casting spells
on them.
All through the history of
medicine we find the use of
herbal medicine to cure illness
and disease, and the Aborigines
are no exception. Many women
treat their families with herbal
remedies and use recipes
handed down over thousands of
years.
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The causes of disease
Prehistoric people understood that some medical
problems were the result of natural causes, and would
treat the problems using natural remedies.
For example, an open wound might be covered up.
When the causes of an ailment weren't understood, the
problem was believed to have supernatural causes.
For example, a fit would be thought to be caused by the
body being possessed by a spirit.
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Primitive surgery
There was very limited use of surgery in prehistoric times.
One amazing operation did take place. This was trepanning
or trephining, which involved cutting a hole in the skull,
possibly to release evil spirits which were causing illness.
Archaeological
evidence suggests that
people did survive
trepanning, although we
don't know whether it
had any positive effects.
What do you think were the dangers of
trepanning?
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Regional variations
Was the state of medicine and health the same
everywhere at this time?
No. While medicine in prehistoric Britain and many other
places were primitive, elsewhere in the world there were
some countries which were highly civilized and advanced.
The Egyptian, Greek and Roman civilizations all
developed comfortable lifestyles, with an emphasis on
hygiene and medical care.
Now write a sentence explaining how the following
factors affected medicine in prehistoric Britain:
beliefs
education
communications.
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Quiz
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