In this collection of essays, edited by Catherine M. Chin and Moulie Vidas, scholars from a range of disciplines explore the activity of knowing in late antiquity by focusing on thirteen major concepts from the intellectual, social, political, and cultural history of the period. They ask two questions about each of these concepts: what did […]
Archiv der Kategorie 'Allgemein'
Toiletry and Hygiene in Sumeria
Toiletry kits have been found around the ancient world from the Indus Valley to Britain, and range in time from the 3rd millennium BCE to the modern day, albeit in varied forms. The article focuses on the toiletry kits found at the sumerian city of Ur, dating to the Early Dynastic Period (ca. 2750-2600 BCE). […]
The Tale of Tuberculosis
Scientists have traced multiple tuberculosis strains back to a single late Roman ancestor. The findings support current scientific estimates that indicate tuberculosis (TB) emerged only 6.000 years ago. Previous theories suggested that the ancestral microbe was much more ancient, perhaps 70.000 years old. Read the full article here. Marius Hoppe
BabMed Workshop Panel at the 61st RAI
There will be a BabMed Workhop panel at the 61st RAI in Bern named “Descriptivism and Probative Metaphor in Cuneiform and Post-Cuneiform Technical Literature”. In line with the theme of the RAI 61, namely ‘Text and Image’, the Descriptivism and Probative Metaphor workshop will look at the contrast between metaphor and descriptive language in the […]
Morbid Terminology: Corpse Medicine
The act of using parts of deceased humans for medical purposes is defined by the term “medical cannibalism” or “corpse medicine”. Blood transfusions and organ transplants are modern forms of “corpse medicine”. In the past, parts of corpses were thought to be able to cure nearly everything from a nosebleed to epilepsy and as such […]
Call for Papers: AJS, Boston 2015 – Jewish medical knowledge and rabbinic discourse(s) in Late Antiquity
AJS – Association for Jewish Studies – is seeking participants for a panel on medical discourse(s) in Jewish traditions throughout (Late) Antiquity. The focus of the session(s) is on medical knowledge in rabbinic traditions (i.e. Talmudic literature and Midrash) against the foil of their literary and socio-cultural background(s). However, within a broader thematic focus also […]
Leek and garlic against MRSA
“Take cropleek and garlic, of both equal quantities, pound them well together… take wine and bullocks gall, mix with the leek… let it stand nine days in the brass vessel…” The modern recreation of this Anglo-Saxon recipe from 9th century A.D., now housed in the British Library as part of the old English medical compendium […]
Nalini Kirk: Medical Experts in Imperial China
As in other civilizations of the time, various types of healing practices co-existed in imperial China, performed by just as many different groups of experts. Shamans and Buddhist or Daoist monks or nuns practicing religious healing, midwives, imperial physicians in official positions at court, itinerant folk-healers, practicing scholar-physicians trained in the Confucian classics, hereditary physicians, […]
Materia medica: “Al-Maqrīzīs Traktat über die Mineralien” by Fabian Käs
In Babylonian medicine, various minerals and stones were used as materia medica. Studying later periods and texts such as Arabic manuscripts can prove that Babylonian medical lore survived for a long time in different cultures and can be very useful for understanding Babylonian medical practice: Dutch publisher Brill has announced a new monograph by Fabian […]
Forthcoming: “The Magical Ceremony Maqlû” by Tzvi Abusch
Das niederländische Verlagshaus Brill hat für Mai 2015 die Veröffentlichung eines neuen Buches von Tzvi Abusch mit dem Titel “The magical ceremony Maqlû” angekündigt. Hier finden Sie die Ankündigung des Verlagshauses Brill. Weiterführende Informationen zum Autor finden Sie hier: Tzvi Abusch Marius Hoppe
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