Almshouse
Almshouses were a type of housing designed to accommodate the elderly. They were common in Medieval Europe, especially in the Netherlands. They featured in other countries, such as England, where…
Eir
Eir was a Norse Goddess, and Valkyrie associated with healing. Handmaid to Odin and Frigga, her name translates to ‘help’ or ‘mercy.’ Eir featured prominently in skaldic poetry and Norse…
Working Together on a Beaver Hunt
Beavers have always been a nutritious, if stubborn, meal for humans. During the late Eocene era, the world began to cool, leading the forests that had once covered the Earth…
Vienna Dioscorides Folio 5
The Vienna Dioscorides is one of the oldest surviving medical texts in history and encapsulates over 2000 years of learning from multiple cultures. The book was created in the Eastern…
Collecting Water
Gathering and storing food has always been a necessity of human survival. Until the invention of wells and modern water systems the location of all permanent, and most temporary, settlements…
Grandpa Telling Tales
Watching after each other is not just about physical health but mental health. Sharing knowledge and entertaining others shows you care. Campfire stories and oral tales were part of the…
Neanderthal Life (And Death)
Despite their portrayal by some as being brutish, the Neanderthals were often caring a people. Of course, you have to be when you get injured as often as a rodeo…
Red Cross, Red Crescent, Red Lion?
Swiss businessman Henry Dunant established the Red Cross in 1863. He was moved by the suffering of the wounded in the 1859 Battle of Solferino, Italy. To care for the…
Scraped Knees and Tending Wounds
Before the advent of modern medicine, injuries as simple as a scraped knee posed a significant risk of infection. Ancient Indian surgery had a highly skilled field dedicated to tending…
The “Joys” of Labor
Childbirth has always been a difficult time for both the mother and the child. This was due to a variety of issues, including the risk of both blood loss and…