If you look up where medicine originated, or the earliest medical interventions, you’ll probably find yourself reading about ancient Greece or Egypt or Mesopotamia. But what about before that? How did early humans treat illnesses or cope with injuries? What did a Neanderthal do if she broke a rib or had a toothache? Flora digs into these questions with archaeologist Penny Spikins and microbiologist Laura Weyrich. They chat about ancient treatments like antibiotics and root canals, why Neanderthals were always getting hurt, and how they took care of themselves—and each other.Guests:Dr. Penny Spikins is a professor of the archaeology of human origins at the University of York in England.Dr. Laura Weyrich is an associate professor of anthropology and bioethics at Pennsylvania State University.Other episodes you may enjoy:

Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at .Subscribe to this podcast. Follow our show on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Bluesky @scifri and sign up for our newsletters. Got a science question that’s keeping you up at night? Call us: 877-472-4374
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

99% of people are being fed 'pop-science' garbage.
If you want the real intelligence without the digital tracking, you just found the exit. Bypass the system noise now.

🔴 INITIALIZE SECURE DOWNLOAD

⚪ GET THE UNFILTERED ARCHIVE