In the Paleolithic Age, the earliest stage of human evolution, social structures consisted of small groups of hunters and gatherers, and life was dangerous with numerous challenges to health.
The burials sites of Neanderthals provided a great deal of evidence that enabled scientist to study about prehistoric peoples. Some of the skeletons showed signs of bone disease such as arthritis, that must have developed over many years.
Prehistoric humans initially had simple approaches to health, which became more complex as their behavioral and cultural repertoire developed.
Ancient medicine evolved over millennia, in interchange with culture and society. It later provided a platform for traditional medicine, which continues to be practices today, for modern biomedicine.
Disease was present on earth long before human life, and scientists can only speculate about the human practice of prehistoric medicine.
Prehistoric people probably treated their wounds similarly to the way animals treat themselves: immersing themselves in cool water and applying mud to irritated areas, sucking stings, licking wounds and exerting pressure on wounds to stop the bleeding.
Anthropologists have found that some primitive peoples employ a variety of means for staunching the flow of blood, for example using herbs or roots, often with astringent or antibacterial qualities, that they apply to the wound on the form of powders or poultices.
Prehistoric people's health
