1. Complete the sheet with your partner
What can we learn from this skull about Prehistoric medicine?
Complete the sheet with your partner

2. MEDICINE IN PRE-HISTORIC TIMES
1. How healthy were people?
2. What caused
sickness?
3. How did they treat illnesses and
injuries?
4. Who
provided medical care?
5. What did they think caused
illness?
What are the limitations of using archaeological evidence to learn about Prehistoric medicine?

3. What’s the BIG problem with Prehistoric medicine?

5. MEDICINE IN PRE-HISTORIC TIMES
1. How healthy were people?
2. What caused
sickness?
3. How did they treat illnesses and
injuries?
4. Who
provided medical care?
5. What did they think caused
illness?
You have six minutes to scan over the information on page 11 and make sure you have detailed information in these
three boxes.

6. Prehistoric people believed that you got ill because you had evil spirits in your body.
Many of them developed osteoarthritis (painful swelling of the joints) as a result of their physically demanding lifestyles.
Trepanning or trephining was an operation in which a hole was made in a person’s head and a piece of skull was removed. This was done because they believed it would let the evil spirits out and stop the pain/illness.
We know many people survived trephining because the bone on skulls had started to grow back.
You could be treated by a medicine man or a witch doctor. A witch doctor would sometimes dress up like an animal when treating you.
Prehistoric people used herbal treatments that they had discovered.
Examples of herbal treatments from this time are chickweed leaves used to treat ulcers and violets used as an antiseptic.
The women of each family were also involved in treating illness.
Very few prehistoric people lived to be any older than 40.
Our knowledge of prehistoric medicine comes from archaeological remains and by studying the Aborigines or Australia.

7. Prehistoric people used herbal treatments that they had discovered.
Ten facts you need to know about PRE-HISTORIC MEDICINE
Please label each of these with “D & I” or “S & A”
Prehistoric people believed that you got ill because you had evil spirits in your body.
Many of them developed osteoarthritis (painful swelling of the joints) as a result of their physically demanding lifestyles.
Trepanning or trephining was an operation in which a hole was made in a person’s head and a piece of skull was removed. This was done because they believed it would let the evil spirits out and stop the pain/illness.
We know many people survived trephining because the bone on skulls had started to grow back.
You could be treated by a medicine man or a witch doctor. A witch doctor would sometimes dress up like an animal when treating you.
Prehistoric people used herbal treatments that they had discovered.
Examples of herbal treatments from this time are chickweed leaves used to treat ulcers and violets used as an antiseptic.
The women of each family were also involved in treating illness.
Very few prehistoric people lived to be any older than 40.
Our knowledge of prehistoric medicine comes from archaeological remains and by studying the Aborigines or Australia.

8. SOURCE A: An artist’s impression of a prehistoric witch-doctor.
This sketch is from a painting which was found on the walls of a cave in France.

9. Answer using Source A and your own knowledge.
What does Source B suggest about the treatment of disease in the Pre-historic period?
Answer using Source A and your own knowledge.
(4 marks)
SOURCE B:
Prehistoric human skull of patient who has been trephined.

10. History Home Learning
Research Sekhmet then write five sentences explaining the most important facts you have discovered. DUE TUESDAY