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Goa Stone in Gold Case. Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art / Public Domain.

Why is This Gallstone in Such an Extravagant Case? (Video)

This ornate casing, currently held by the New York Met, holds a mysterious secret, a captivating enigma in the world of art. Crafted from solid 22-karat gold , it exudes opulence with its intricate...
Water lily Nymphaea, known as ‘blue lotus’. Source: Public Domain

The Blue Lotus: A Narcotic Lily That Mesmerized Ancient Egypt

A water lily from the genus Nymphaea , this plant became known as the ‘Blue Lotus’, or the ‘Egyptian Lotus’. This aquatic plant is not just a thing of beauty, it has a secret too, and the ancient...
Medieval knight with beer

The Water of Life: Alcohol as Medicine Through the Ages

While no one knows exactly when alcohol was first produced, it was presumably the result of a fortuitous accident that occurred at least tens of thousands of years ago. However, the discovery of late...
Did Ancient Swiss Farmers Genetically Modify Opium Poppies?

Did Ancient Swiss Farmers Genetically Modify Opium Poppies?

When it comes to plants with powerful medical applications Asia can be called the ‘traditional home.’ However, this is not the case when it comes to opium poppies, for new research has shown their...
Pipe residues reveal Native American smoking habits from centuries ago. Source: DedMityay /Adobe Stock

Ancient Pipes Reveal What Natives Americans Were Smoking

American researchers have used ground-breaking technologies to make discoveries about Native American smoking habits . They have, for the first time, found traces of a non-tobacco plant in a pipe...
Elderberry remedy as a syrup with fresh elderberries in the background.         Source: Madeleine Steinbach / Adobe stock

Science Proves Ancient Elderberry Remedy Beats the Flu

A new study of the properties of the elderberry plant, published this year, suggests its compounds could be a powerful medicine in preventing and reducing flu symptoms. Elderberry, also known as...
Hippocrates Statue and Dooley Hospital Door.	Source: CC BY 2.0

Ancient Greek Physician Hippocrates and the Medical Revolution

Classical Greece is considered by many to be the birthplace of modern Western civilization. The ancient Greeks made astounding progress in a huge number of areas - from politics and governing to...
Ancient secrets of medicinal mint unlocked through science. Source: Yü Lan / Adobe.

Medicinal Mint Decoded: Scientists Learn Ancient Secrets of Chinese Skullcap Mint

The precious chemistry of a plant used for 2000 years in traditional Chinese medicine has been unlocked in a project that raises the prospect of rapid access to a wide array of therapeutic drugs ...
Caterpillar maggot could be used in re-emerging maggot medicine.

Australian Scientists Explore The Medical Marvels Of Ancient Maggot Therapy

The ‘next’ button is probably the best option for those readers of a prudish or squeamish nature, as this is a news story telling of advancements in the ancient medical arts of ‘Maggot therapy’ and...
Illustration of a monk tending to a sick patient.

The Incredible Medical Interventions of the Monks of Soutra Aisle

Soutra Aisle refers to a set of ruins in Scotland that were once part of a larger complex comprising a hospital and a friar. Excavations at Soutra Aisle have provided an extraordinary window into the...
An indigenous person of Peru taking traditional medicine.

Ancient Medicinal Knowledge of Amazon Tribes to Be Recorded in Writing for First Time in History

“That plant will save you from a poisonous snake bite,” my Kichwa guide, Pidru, pointed out as I tried to remove my boot from a foot of mud in the depths of the Amazon jungle in Ecuador. “And this...
An aerial view of the aqueduct.

An Enigma Wrapped in a Mystery: The Living, Growing Aqueduct of Alicún de las Torres, Granada

Not far from the Moorish splendors of the Alhambra in Granada, Spain, and close to the troglodyte cave-dwellings of the residents of Guadix, is the spectacular, living, El Toril Aqueduct. It is...
The Ancient ‘Plant of Immortality’ That Treats Over 50 Medical Conditions

The Ancient ‘Plant of Immortality’ That Treats Over 50 Medical Conditions

Known as “the plant of immortality” by the Ancient Egyptians, and treasured by numerous subsequent cultures, aloe vera it still known today for its many health benefits. For millennia it has been...
Men smoking pipes, Ottoman era, Turkey (Antiller / Flickr)

Medicinal Use of Narcotics Unearthed at Ottoman Archaeological Site in Turkey

A team of archaeologists carrying out excavations at Kaman-Kalehoyuk in Turkey found evidence of the medicinal use of henbane seeds. The seeds, which were found in an old hearth, have therapeutic...
De Materia Medica remedies book

Roseroot, an ancient remedy for fatigue and disease, gets new respect

Ancient Greeks, Vikings, Caucasians, prehistoric Siberians and Mongolians, and ancient Chinese emperors were all taken with the medicinal properties of the wild herb Rhodiola rosea (golden root or...
Donkey milk: Ancient elixir of life

Donkey milk: Ancient elixir of life experiences modern-day resurgence

Donkey milk was hailed by the ancients as an elixir of long life, a cure-all for a variety of ailments, and a powerful tonic capable of rejuvenating the skin. Cleopatra, Queen of Ancient Egypt,...
1,000-year-old Middle Eastern recipe book

1,000-year-old Middle Eastern recipe book claims to have the ultimate hangover cure

Written nearly a thousand years ago, the Kitab al-tabikh (book of cookery) written by Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq, is the most comprehensive work of its kind. It includes more than 600 recipes for culinary...
Canaanite Wine Cellar discovered at Tel Kabri

Trove of Ancient Wine Found in Bronze Age Canaanite Palace Could Fight Cancer

Last year, archaeologists discovered a huge hoard of storage vessels in a 6,000 square metre Bronze Age palace at Tel Kabri, located in what is now Israel. Known to be the largest wine cellar to ever...