The “Dark Ages” were not as intellectually barren as often portrayed, especially in the realm of medicine. New international research, significantly involving faculty from Binghamton University (State University of New York), is challenging long-held assumptions about medieval healthcare. Far from being mired in superstition, people in the Middle Ages actively developed health practices based on the best available knowledge, some of which bear surprising resemblances to modern wellness trends.

This re-evaluation stems from the groundbreaking Corpus of Early Medieval Latin Medicine (CEMLM) project, funded by the British Academy. The CEMLM initiative has meticulously compiled hundreds of medieval manuscripts containing medical material predating the 11th century. By including countless previously uncatalogued texts, the project has nearly doubled the known number of medical manuscripts from this period, offering unprecedented insight.

According to Meg Leja, an associate professor of history at Binghamton University specializing in late antique and medieval European political and cultural history, the findings underscore a widespread engagement with health. “People were engaging with medicine on a much broader scale than had previously been thought,” Leja notes. “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.'”

Indeed, some medieval recipes unearthed by the project remarkably parallel contemporary health “hacks” promoted by modern-day influencers. For instance, a medieval remedy for headaches involved crushing a peach stone, mixing it with rose oil, and applying it to the forehead. While seemingly unconventional, a 2017 study suggested that rose oil may indeed help alleviate migraine pain, lending a surprising modern validation. Another intriguing example is “lizard shampoo,” a concoction using pieces of lizard, believed to make hair more luscious or even facilitate hair removal – an ancient precursor to modern waxing or hair conditioning.

These ancient practices highlight Leja’s observation that “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.” Leja herself dedicated two years to compiling, reviewing, editing, and formatting the newly released online catalogue, drawing on her prior research into medieval medicine, including her book Embodying the Soul: Medicine and Religion in Carolingian Europe.

The widespread concern for health is further evidenced by where many of these medical writings were found: tucked into the margins of unrelated manuscripts on grammar, theology, and poetry. As Leja points out, this scattered evidence speaks to a profound and pervasive preoccupation with the body’s well-being and a persistent drive to understand and control it, underscoring the intellectual dynamism that characterized the medieval period.

Leja clarified that while the early medieval period is indeed “dark” due to a scarcity of historical sources, this designation doesn’t imply a lack of scientific interest. On the contrary, people during this time were actively engaged in scientific observation, understanding the utility of natural substances, and seeking to identify patterns and make predictions.

The research team is continually updating their catalog with new manuscripts and is also preparing new editions and translations of medical texts for teaching purposes. Leja emphasized that unlike previous catalogs that often centered on well-known authorities like Hippocrates, this new approach aims for a more comprehensive representation. By including texts more relevant to the daily practice of the time, the expanded catalog will allow historians to fully explore the breadth of early medieval medicine.

The collaborative Corpus of Early Medieval Latin Medicine (CEMLM), produced by team members from Binghamton, Fordham, St. Andrews, Utrecht, and Oslo, is now available online.

Source: Binghamton University