Prehistoric Medicine

Prehistory is the time before written records.

• Writing- introduced to Britain by the Romans- 43AD

Archaeology can tell us a lot about prehistoric people.

• Cave paintings & artwork- believed in a spirtitual world
• Explanations of illness- evil spirits- require spirtitual or religious cures
• Normadic hunter gatherers- small extended families- moved following food & resources
• Social organisation- no extension beyond family structure
• Stonehenge- involved large numbers- came together (food plentiful) & split up when it wasnt- allowed ideas to be shared

Progress in Prehistoric medicine would have been slow.

• Infrequency of mass gatherings & lack of writing- slow progress
• Excavations- inform on attitudes to human remians- some moved remains & brought out for ceremonies
• Fine & delicate stone tools (flint & obsidian)- surgery was feasible

Aboriginal cultures give us clues about prehistory.

• Practical methods- setting broken bones & bandgaging with spiritual explanantions of illness & cure
• Witch doctors, shamans & medicine men- ability to cure & inflict illness
• Preventative medicine (warding off evil) is practised & healing (driving off evil)
• Rituals & sacrifice involved- rituals- use of herbs, potions & techniques of practical value- seen as magic rather than medicine

Archaeopathology is the study of ancient disease.

• Study ancient bodies- what disease & health problems occured, how they were treated & how they died
• Most evidence decayed to bones- limits info that can be gained
• Some bodies preserved- ice, peat bogs or mummification
• Trephining or trepanning- cutting holes in peoples heads- let evil spirits out?
• Modern evidence- trepanning - lead to altered mental sensations- could have been done for practical reasons- treat injurt or epliepsy etc