Medieval medicine is turning heads for all the right reasons. Far from being a primitive or superstitious practice, new research shows that early medieval Europeans engaged deeply with natural remedies, observation, and experimentation—some of which mirror today’s alternative health trends.
A sweeping catalog of forgotten manuscripts reveals cures involving rose oil, detox regimens, and even lizard-based shampoos, offering a glimpse into a surprisingly systematic and curious scientific mindset. These practices, once scribbled in the margins of unrelated texts, show that people in the so-called “Dark Ages” were far more inquisitive—and effective—than they’ve been given credit for.
Rethinking the “Dark Ages”
The so-called “Dark Ages” may have been brighter than we once believed. Recent research suggests that medieval medical knowledge was far more advanced than its reputation implies—and surprisingly, some of the remedies used over a thousand years ago are making a comeback on TikTok.
An international research initiative, which includes faculty from Binghamton University, State University of New York, has revealed that people during the Middle Ages were not simply isolated in castles or lost in superstition. Instead, they were actively exploring health solutions using the best information available to them. Many of these approaches align closely with today’s wellness movements.
“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.’”
Lost Medical Manuscripts Come to Light
The Corpus of Early Medieval Latin Medicine (CEMLM), a project supported by the British Academy, has uncovered hundreds of previously overlooked medical manuscripts dating back before the 11th century. By incorporating many texts that had not been included in earlier catalogs, the project has nearly doubled the known number of medical manuscripts from this era.
Interestingly, several of the remedies described in these ancient texts resemble popular wellness practices seen online today. For example, one treatment for headaches suggests crushing the stone of a peach, mixing it with rose oil, and applying it to the forehead. While it may sound unusual, a 2017 study found that rose oil could actually help relieve migraine symptoms.
Lizard Shampoo and Ancient Hacks
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.
Leja spent the last two years with the rest of the team preparing the new catalogue (which was just released online), reviewing manuscripts from throughout Europe, and editing and formatting the catalog. She had previously written about medieval medicine in her first book, Embodying the Soul: Medicine and Religion in Carolingian Europe.
Health Scribbles in Holy Texts
Many of the writings were found within the margins of books totally unrelated to medicine—manuscripts on grammar, theology, poetry , etc. Leja said that this speaks to a preoccupation with the body’s health and figuring out ways to control it.
“It’s true that we do lack a lot of sources for the period. In that sense, it is ‘dark.’ But not in terms of any kind of ‘anti-science’ attitudes — people in the early Middle Ages were quite into science, into observation, into figuring out the utility of different natural substances, and trying to identify patterns and make predictions” said Leja.
A Living Project with Expanding Potential
The research team will continue to update the catalog with new manuscripts and are working on new editions and translations of medical texts that could be used in teaching. Leja noted that while previously catalogs focused on texts from well-known authorities like Hippocrates, this isn’t necessarily material that people in the Dark Ages would have prioritized, and a more comprehensive catalog will allow historians to show medicine in its fullness.
The Corpus of Early Medieval Latin Medicine (CEMLM) is available online, produced by team members from Binghamton, Fordham, St. Andrews, Utrecht, and Oslo.
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1 Comment
Sounds like another subject which should be addressed by AI