The Search for Wellbeing and Health Between the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period

The document explores the historical pursuit of wellbeing and health from the Middle Ages to the Early Modern Period across various European cultures, including Hebrew, Muslim, and Christian societies. It utilizes recipe books and medical treatises from the 13th to 15th centuries to reveal the natural raw materials—vegetable, animal, and mineral—used in cosmetics and healthcare. These materials were employed for aesthetic purposes and to treat ailments, with remedies for eye health, dental care, skin creams, hair dyes, and baldness lotions. The book also includes studies using experimental archaeology and chemical analysis to understand the ingredients and products, highlighting the advanced technical knowledge of natural and sustainable products in past societies.