1. How healthy were prehistoric people?

2. What was the lifestyle of prehistoric people Lived in small communities Many nomadic Earlier – Hunter gathers Later-Farmers.

3. What was life like for early people? Hunter/gatherers Nomadic, following herds of animals around as they moved to new grazing areas No permanent homes or shelters Dangerous lives as they could often be the hunted animal by other hunters, such as lions, tigers etc. Lived mostly as family or extended family groups Stone tools What Medical problems did they face? Cuts and bruises Broken bones Animal bites Dietary illnesses Other diseases much like we suffer today Living in the Prehistoric Period circa 100,000 -10,000 BC

4. What can you learn from bones?

5. Complete the table below on prehistoric people What illnesses did they suffer from? What medical knowledge did they have? What improved their health?

6. What evidence do we have about the medical beliefs of early people? Anthropological evidence This is where archaeologists have studied people in recent primitive societies and related their findings to the way of life of Prehistoric people. People such as the Aborigines of Australia and The Native American Indians of both North and South America. We can study how they treat there own sick and what remedies they use.

7. What evidence do we have about the medical beliefs of early people? Cave Paintings What do the following two pictures tell us about medicine in the Prehistoric period? Write down what you think this picture shows. This shows a shaman or medicine man. People believed certain people had special powers of healing and treating

8. The Role of Shamans or Medicine Men in providing medical care Headaches and diseases were blamed on… A shaman was the person who… Charms were worn to…

9. Prehistoric Procedure Trephinning Trephining (or Trepanning) People believed evil spirits could live in a person head. Using a flint (a sharp piece of stone) a hole was drilled into the skull. Evidence has proved some people survived because skulls have been found where the bone has re-grown

10. Who treated people? Medicine man – Shaman Believed to have spiritual healing powers Used charms, spells and potions Family members - women Knowledge of plants and herbs probably passed on through word of mouth Could treat cuts, bruises and broken bones

11. Evidence which tells us about Prehistoric medicine Bones and human remains Excavation of archaeological sites e.g Isbister and Westray in the Orkneys Cave paintings/art and artefacts By studying the lifestyles of other indigenous and tribal groups e.g. Aboriginal people