HistoryExtra
type: channel
link: https://www.historyextra.com
description: Home of Britain’s bestselling history magazine and award-winning podcast
date: 2026-05-11T14:31:03.000Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
items: What was the greatest invention in history? 9 experts share their opinions
items: Medieval family planning: meet the strong-willed women who redefined motherhood in the Middle Ages
items: Would you eat a mummy to cure a disease?
items: This surprising medieval medical belief still shapes how we think about wellness
items: How to stay healthy in the Middle Ages
items: Inside a Roman villa: luxury life in ancient Britain
items: Toilets through time, from sponges on sticks to medieval privies
items: The ancient Greeks had six essential tips for health. How many do you do?
items: The overlooked history of Muslims in Europe
items: How did people understand pregnancy BEFORE modern medicine?

What was the greatest invention in history? 9 experts share their opinions
type: item
date: 2026-05-11T14:30:25.000Z
subject: Period
subject: Debate
subject: Historical events
description: Our team of historians, broadcasters and authors name the discoveries that have transformed our world over the centuries
encoded: Writing Spreading the word – and nationalism Were it not for the invention of writing, I would be offering this answer via megaphone. Writing is nowhere near as old as humanity’s 300,000-year history, but it is old: the first writing system emerged in Mesopotamia around 3200 BC. Separate systems developed in Micronesia in the 1800s BC, Shang Dynasty China around 1300 BC, and in Mesoamerica after 900 BC. Although writing did not supplant oral tradition, it did dramatically extend the reach of communications, and allow groups to write down and diffuse their histories, ideas, lore and laws. The invention and refinement of writing changed the relationship between memory and record, as well as people’s sense of the reachable world. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2026/05/GettyImages-463913557-d97d4a5-e1778505236897.jpg" width="1500" height="1000" alt="A rectangular dark clay tablet carved with multiple rows of early cuneiform signs, including geometric shapes and pictographic symbols." title="An inscribed clay tablet from ancient Mesopotamia, where the first writing emerged around 3200 BC (Image by Getty Images)" /> Complex societies existed before and apart from the development of writing, but writing made societies easier to administer over distance. For better or worse, it allowed the development of bureaucracy. The esteemed political scientist Benedict Anderson saw it as fundamental to how communities understood themselves in place and time. He argued that the emergence of print media in the modern era – writing circulated fast and far – produced a simultaneity of experience that allowed people to see themselves as part of a cohesive community even when they could not encounter everyone in it. In other words, as set out in Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism (1983), it allowed for the emergence of nationalism. That has had global consequences. Adriane Lentz-Smith, associate professor of histor…

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Medieval family planning: meet the strong-willed women who redefined motherhood in the Middle Ages
type: item
date: 2026-04-19T11:30:54.000Z
subject: Medieval
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: Medieval life
description: In the Middle Ages, the bearing and raising of children defined women’s lives. But as Elinor Cleghorn explains, there were women who had other ideas and boldly challenged attitudes towards motherhood
encoded: In the winter of 841, a Frankish noblewoman named Dhuoda decided to compose a book of life advice for William, her eldest child. Since 824, when she married, Dhuoda had been living in Uzès, a town in southern France. Her husband, Bernard of Septimania, was a duke and military guard with family ties to the ruling dynasty of the first Carolingian emperor, Charlemagne. Almost two and a half years after their marriage, they welcomed their “most dearly desired first-born son”. As Dhuoda began writing to William, she pictured how he would hold her book when it was finished, how he would touch and turn its pages. Fifteen years earlier, William had issued “forth out of [her body] into the world”. Now, as he was leaving childhood behind, the lessons issued from her hand to his, from her body to his, would guide him towards adulthood. Dhuoda named her book Liber Manualis, Latin for handbook – literally translated as ‘hand-held book’ – and she hoped William would keep it with him always. As well as a collection of advice about how he should serve God, live virtuously, overcome hardships and be an honourable man, the Liber Manualis was a channel through which she hoped they would remain connected. For Dhuoda would not be there in person to care for William as he grew up. The Carolingian empire, as Dhuoda noted, was “in the midst of much agitation and discord”. Charles the Bald, son of Emperor Louis the Pious, and his half-brothers had been embroiled in civil wars over lands and succession for years. In June 841, after Charles won a bloody battle, Bernard, who fought against him, appeased Charles by offering his son William as vassal. Back in the spring of 841, Dhuoda had given birth to their second child, a boy. Bernard was a contentious figure with many enemies so, for his newborn son’s protection, he had him removed from his family home and taken to Aquitaine. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2026/04/0752743-354aa37-e1776414834828.jpg" widt…

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Would you eat a mummy to cure a disease?
type: item
date: 2026-04-17T08:43:54.000Z
creator: Elinor Evans
subject: Ancient Egypt
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: Tudor
description: Why, in the past, did people eat bits of dead body? And what sort of ailments were they believed to cure? HistoryExtra's Elinor Evans explains more
encoded: Why, in the past, did people eat bits of dead body? And what sort of ailments were they believed to cure? During the early-modern period, corpse medicine became a widely accepted practice throughout Europe. From the blood of the dead to the ground-up remains of mummies – and even, in Ancient Rome, fresh body parts – throughout history human bodies have been treated as potent remedies. Drawing on expertise from historians including Dr Richard Sugg and Dr Campbell Price, HistoryExtra's Elinor Evans traces the history of this chilling historical practice. View Green Video on the source website Read more | Early-modern cannibal doctors: why mummified corpse was considered medicine

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This surprising medieval medical belief still shapes how we think about wellness
type: item
date: 2026-04-15T10:18:38.000Z
creator: James Osborne
subject: Medieval
subject: Period
subject: Discover / Apple News
description: As familiar notions suggest, medieval medicine was influenced by herbs and humours. But these factors were part of a broader holistic system in which emotion and lifestyle were also considered essential to staying healthy
encoded: Judged against the standards of modern medicine, the Middle Ages can seem like a time of ignorance; an era when healthcare was based on crude remedies and superstitions. In reality, medieval healthcare was built on a broad – but, in its own way, sophisticated – understanding of how the body worked that placed emphasis on a combination of physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. Much of this thinking drew on ancient Greek and Roman medical traditions, particularly those associated with Hippocrates and Galen, whose works were preserved and studied throughout the medieval period. But how did the religion of the Middle Ages factor into this understanding? Indeed, as historian Katherine Harvey explains on the HistoryExtra podcast, many medieval thinkers treated religion and medicine as two parts of one system. Religion and medicine in the medieval healthcare system “I think it’s really important that although we see religion and medicine as two different things, they didn’t,” explains Katherine Harvey. “It was very much two overlapping ways of understanding the world and understanding your body.” Religious practice shaped attitudes towards behaviour – from diet and fasting to sexual intimacy and daily routines – all of which were understood to have direct consequences for physical health. For example, fasting wasn’t only a spiritual discipline, but also believed to regulate digestion and bodily balance, while sexual restraint was associated with notions of conserving vital bodily energies. Therefore, Harvey says, “it was quite usual for a physician to prescribe both medical and spiritual remedies; to give you a bottle of medicine, but also a charm to use.” Read more | Kill or cure? 10 medieval medical practices and their effectiveness In the later Middle Ages, there was also “a preoccupation with the idea that the body is God’s creation,” Harvey explains. And this had important implications. This imbued maintenance of the body with a moral responsibility, too. “You’v…

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How to stay healthy in the Middle Ages
type: item
date: 2026-04-03T10:49:12.000Z
creator: Charlotte Vosper
subject: Medieval
subject: Membership
subject: Period
description: Katherine Harvey reveals the ways in which medieval people thought about their bodies and minds, and how they tried to live long, healthy lives
encoded: In reality, were medieval people dirty and covered in mud? What did they think were the healthiest things to eat? And how often did they think they should be having sex? Speaking to Charlotte Vosper, Katherine Harvey reveals the practical, and somewhat surprising, ways in which individuals in the Middle Ages cared for body and mind – from food and sex to hygiene and even going to the toilet.

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Inside a Roman villa: luxury life in ancient Britain
type: item
date: 2026-04-03T09:57:50.000Z
creator: Kev Lochun
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: Roman
subject: Tudor
description: HistoryExtra’s Rachel Dinning and Kev Lochun introduce the underfloor heating, fine mosaics and elegant rooms of Chedworth Roman Villa in Gloucestershire, that reveal the surprising luxury of life in Roman Britain
encoded: Step into one of the grandest Roman homes ever discovered in Britain, and explore the secret luxuries of Roman Britain, as we head inside Chedworth Roman Villa in Gloucestershire, now in the care of the National Trust. HistoryExtra’s Rachel Dinning and Kev Lochun introduce the underfloor heating, fine mosaics and elegant rooms that reveal the surprising luxury of life in Roman Britain. You’ll hear how this countryside retreat functioned, who lived here, and what it tells us about wealth, identity and culture under Roman rule. With thanks to all at Chedworth Roman Villa View Green Video on the source website

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Toilets through time, from sponges on sticks to medieval privies
type: item
date: 2026-02-20T09:03:23.000Z
creator: Dr David Musgrove, FSA
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: Roman
description: What was it like to do your business in a Roman communal toilet? How did Romans really use a sponge on a stick? HistoryExtra's David Musgrove explains all
encoded: In this whistle-stop tour of how our ancestors have used the loo, HistoryExtra’s David Musgrove heads to the National Trust's Chedworth Roman Villa in Gloucestershire, to see what we can learn from the most universal of all experiences. With expertise from historians Hannah Platts, James Wright, Tracy Borman and Jerry White, he explores the ins and outs of how toilets have worked through time – from innovations in carrying away our waste to a remarkable ancient edict that demanded flatulence. View Green Video on the source website Find out more about the history of toilets in our podcast mini-series, when Musgrove revisits long-past lavatories in the company of leading historical experts to uncover what we can learn about our ancestors and their eras – from the sociable long-drops of Roman Britain and draughty medieval garderobes to the cesspits of the Victorian slums.

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The ancient Greeks had six essential tips for health. How many do you do?
type: item
date: 2026-02-19T11:28:09.000Z
creator: Serafina Kenny
subject: Ancient Greece
subject: General ancient history
subject: Period
subject: Discover / Apple News
description: With conflicting advice and endless new trends, it can feel hard to keep up with the modern health and wellness space. But ideas about how to live a healthy life are nothing new. Thousands of years ago, the ancient Greeks had their own list of requirements
encoded: Wellness might feel like a modern concept, attached to health-tracker apps, screen time, and green smoothies. But the concept of actively trying to lead a healthy life while keeping the body in a good state isn’t new. In fact, systems of preventative health stretch back more than 2,000 years to the medical traditions of the ancient Mediterranean world. Speaking on the Life Lessons from History series from the HistoryExtra podcast, Sasha Handley, a professor of early modern history at the University of Manchester, says there used to be a “fantastic preventative healthcare culture” based on advice that dates back to ancient Greece. As she sets out, there was a list of six lifestyle factors and behaviours that physicians, medical practitioners, and ordinary people alike knew they had to take care of for their long-term health. These were the ‘six non-naturals’ and the ancient Greeks believed that “temperance of all of those six things was key to long-term good health, according to the wisdom of the time” says Handley. The term “non-naturals” described factors external to the body that could be managed or regulated, as opposed to “naturals,” which were the body’s innate characteristics So what were these six factors, and how much do they align with modern thinking? Fresh air The first non-natural to look after was fresh air – that is, “getting enough of it and making sure that you were not taking in fetid or corrupt air,” Handley says. The Greeks thought that ‘bad air’ could cause disease and advocated for good airflow within houses to lessen exposure to stagnant air. Read more | Meet the people the ancient Romans and Greeks desperately tried to hide Today, we know there is no singular concept of ‘bad air’. But there are pollutants in the air that can be hazardous to people, and we do know that some diseases are airborne. Food and drink It was considered important that a person was “eating and drinking the right kinds of things for [their] bodily constitution, but also …

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The overlooked history of Muslims in Europe
type: item
date: 2026-02-11T15:20:48.000Z
subject: Medieval
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: Historical people
subject: Islam
description: Tharik Hussain speaks to Danny Bird about the long but often overlooked and distorted history of Muslims in Europe – and the enduring resistance to its reappraisal
encoded: Danny Bird: You open your book by recounting a chance visit to an old mosque in Cyprus. What was so significant about that moment? Tharik Hussain: Nothing changed for me on the day itself, because I knew very little about Islam’s history in Europe at that time. On a long, cheap layover in Larnaca – a place I’d never heard of – I was simply looking for a way to pass the time with a toddler in tow. I’d found a brief reference to a nearby mosque, and decided to visit. At the time (2003), I was preparing to make hijrah – to leave Britain, because I felt that I no longer belonged. My education had led me to believe that there was no meaningful Muslim history in Europe. So when we arrived at this neglected Ottoman-era mosque at the Hala Sultan Tekke, I had no framework for understanding it. The elderly guide didn’t speak English, and neither of us knew what we were looking at. What unsettled me was a tomb inside the mosque, which clashed with the theological outlook my wife and I held at the time. We left, dismissing the place, though the guide handed us a small booklet as we went. Two years later, while working as an English language teacher in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, I rediscovered the booklet. To my shock, it claimed that the tomb belonged to a relative of the Prophet Muhammad – his maternal aunt, Umm Harâm. That completely overturned my belief that Europe had no real Islamic history, let alone connections reaching back to the Prophet’s own family. When did Islam first come to Europe? If we look at the very beginnings of Muslim presence in Europe, it’s striking how quickly it arrived. Within 20 years of the Prophet Muhammad’s death in AD 632, Muslims were present in places such as Cyprus and, later, Sicily, establishing themselves far more quickly than Christian or Jewish communities had done in the continent. Some of these early arrivals, including members of the Prophet’s family, were then buried in Europe, their tombs becoming sites of ziyara (pilgrimage), holding gre…

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How did people understand pregnancy BEFORE modern medicine?
type: item
date: 2026-02-06T10:17:32.000Z
creator: Ellie Cawthorne
subject: General History
subject: Membership
subject: Period
description: HistoryExtra’s Ellie Cawthorne took a brief look back at the wonderfully strange, surprisingly clever and occasionally downright bizarre history of pregnancy
encoded: What did people in the past do to not only diagnose pregnancy, but to ensure the health of mothers and babies in the nine months before birth? To find out, HistoryExtra’s Ellie Cawthorne took a brief look back at the wonderfully strange, surprisingly clever and occasionally downright bizarre history of pregnancy – it's a far from comprehensive but fascinating snapshot into this subject. View Green Video on the source website

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