Anna and Amber can’t help you with your real medical complaints, but they’re here with a whole batch of knowledge* about what people used to do for their sniffles (and worse). So grab your tea, lozenges, and a mouthful of miscellaneous herbs and shuffle along with us as we explore ways in which diseases have been diagnosed and treated over the millennia.

*Not medical knowledge! Go see a doctor!

To learn even more, check out:

Neanderthal healthcare practices crucial to survival (AAAS)

Prehistoric 'Aspirin' Found in Sick Neanderthal's Teeth (National Geographic)

Neandertal birth canal shape and the evolution of human childbirth (PNAS)

Watching Ancient Hominins Giving Birth (written by Anna for Sapiens)

Neanderthal behaviour, diet, and disease inferred from ancient DNA in dental calculus (Nature)

I am Ashurbanipal: king of the world, king of Assyria (British Museum)

Medicine and Doctoring in Ancient Mesopotamia (Grand Valley Journal of History)

Ugarit (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

The Clay Models Used to Analyze Entrails in the Ancient World (Atlas Obscura)

Origin and Development of Ayurveda (A Brief History) (Ancient Science of Life)

A glimpse of Ayurveda – The forgotten history and principles of Indian traditional medicine (Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine)

25 Ancient, Proven Home Remedies With Science Behind Them (Nursing Assistant Guides)

Weapon salve, tooth hangers and other ‘sympathetic’ cures (Marieke Hendriksen)