The Early Medieval Hospital
The birth and rise of a charitable institution in Europe during the Early Middle Ages.
The Past and Present of Abortion in Medieval Law
Abortion is once again in the spotlight in the United States, as its Supreme Court is set to uphold a law limiting this right. How do medieval laws and views on abortion play a role in this issue?
Medieval Advice for Pregnant Women
The wonderful and bizarre pieces of advice offered to pregnant women by a group of medieval peasant women.
What was the biggest health problem of the Middle Ages?
The bubonic plague is often considered the greatest threat to human health during the Middle Ages. But a new study suggests that medieval…
How deadly was the Justinianic Plague?
‘Plague sceptics’ are wrong to underestimate the devastating impact that bubonic plague had in the 6th–8th centuries CE, argues a new study based on ancient texts and recent genetic discoveries.
The ‘Healthy’ Medieval Diet
I found that the word ‘diet’ does come into English – it’s originally Greek and then Latin – during the Middle Ages as early as the 13th century and it has a wide range of meanings from a whole course of life, a way of living or thinking, a way of feeding a restricted prescribed course of food for those who are ill or in prison.
New book explores how poison shaped medieval Chinese medicine, culture
If poison was medicinal, then what was medicine?
Medieval potions and modern lotions
Could there also be some medical merit behind many of the seemingly bizarre ingredients?
Medieval Contraception with Eleanor Janega
One of the things medieval and modern people definitely have in common is an interest in preventing unwanted pregnancies. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Eleanor Janega to get all the details on medieval contraception.
The Trotula with Monica Green
In honour of the 20th anniversary of the publication of The Trotula, Danièle speaks with editor and translator Dr. Monica Green about this astonishing collection of medieval medical and cosmetic advice for women.
Researchers learning how immunity to the plague developed
Scientists examining the remains of 36 bubonic plague victims from a 16th-century mass grave in Germany have found the first evidence that evolutionary adaptive processes, driven by the disease, may have conferred immunity on later generations of people from the region.
Cancer rates in medieval Britain around ten times higher than previously thought, study suggests
Between 9-14% of adults in medieval Britain had the disease at the time of their death.
Epidemics in Medieval Iceland: The Evidence of Contemporary Annals
Elizabeth Rowe discusses how epidemics repeatedly struck the isolated community of Iceland in the later Middle Ages, and contemporary annals record them in ways that range from the horrifying to the humorous.
A Medieval Guide to Avoiding the Next Pandemic
One example from medieval England told readers all they needed to know to avoid getting sick during the next pandemic.
Monstrous Births in the Middle Ages
Tim Wingard explores medieval theories of embryology and the concept of the hybrid human/animal monster. This talk focuses on the late-13th-century medical text ‘De secretis mulierum’ (‘On the Secrets of Women’).
Science in the Middle Ages – Rediscovering its Latent Genius
Did “science” exist as we commonly refer to it today in the Middle Ages, or was research and study treated as a mere curiosity?
How the Black Death reached Europe – new research on the pandemic’s spread
“When, how, and why did the Black Death reach Europe?” These are the questions asked by Hannah Barker. In a new article, the historian finds that the long-believed story of how this great medieval plague reached Europe is likely untrue, and that the story of the pandemic’s spread has to deal with grain and trade.
Overestimating the effects of the Justinianic Plague
Researchers examining the Justinianic Plague have discovered that late 19th century misconceptions about the outbreaks of pandemic led to an ingrained belief that they inherently cause widespread death and change the course of history.
The study of Byzantine skeletons, with Chryssa Bourbou
A conversation with Chryssa Bourbou on what we learn from health and society in Byzantium from the study of skeletal remains.
Medieval Medicine: Does it work? with Joe Alcock
There’s talk in the news from time to time about the surprising efficacy of medieval medicine. Does it actually work? This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with emergency physician and wilderness medicine expert Dr. Joe Alcock about which medieval remedies really could work in a pinch, and why.
Plagues were spreading faster in centuries after Black Death, researchers find
Researchers who analyzed thousands of documents covering a 300-year span of plague outbreaks in London, England, have estimated that the disease spread four…
What cesspits are revealing about health in the medieval world
Analysis of 14th-15th century latrines in Jerusalem and Riga, Latvia identifies some of the microbes found in the guts of these pre-industrial populations, illuminating how gut contents have changed since medieval times.
Medieval Bodies with Jack Hartnell
From manuscripts to wash basins, medieval objects can tell us a lot about how people conceived of the world. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Dr. Jack Hartnell about what objects can tell us about the Middle Ages, medicine, and especially medieval bodies.
Leonardo da Vinci and the inner workings of the human heart
The study sheds light on questions asked by Leonardo da Vinci 500 years ago, and shows how the shape of these muscles impacts heart performance and heart failure.