Words by Rox Madeira from Wise Herbal Ways

There is a new view of prehistory, emerging from the growing voices of women and evidence of Matriarchal societies. Studies of ancient and recent Matriarchal societies show that they were egalitarian societies, rather than the previous idea that it was simply the opposite of today: societies with women ruling.

Within these discoveries there are ethnographic and ethno archaeological evidence from prehistoric times showing that women made a huge contribution, larger than previously thought, to the plants gathered for food and objects – women’s contribution to hunter gather calories and protein intake was between 50-70%. This gave them special expertise and knowledge in plants, and leads to the suggestion that they would therefore also have had special knowledge in the use of medicinal plants.

“If women knew about the properties of plants, they may have been the founders of medicine”. (1)

The evidence of plants used for healing dates back to the dawn of humanity.

There are remnants of medicinal plants found from sites dating 19,000 years ago, there have also been discoveries of Neanderthals, 49,000 years ago, using poultices for toothache, containing plants with salicylic acid. 8,000 year old discoveries from a site in Brazil have shown a first aid selection of plants used for digestive problems, worms, pain relief, wounds and respiratory issues.  Mesolithic hunter gathers in Scandinavia have been found to have chewed birch tar, an antiseptic. When researchers looked at the DNA of the body chewing the tar they saw various mouth infections and herpes, which would have been helped by having some antiseptic medicine.

It is thought that during this pre-historical period that healing consisted of a combination of plant pharmacy, ritual, manipulation, chants and offerings of models of the body parts needing healing. Tribal cultures that still exist today show us that women were most likely the ones who took on the healing role. The discovery of thousands of female “Venus” figures carved of stone, ivory or bone have been found indicating a reverence for the female being, the female body and its mysterious ability to reproduce. These were very likely sacred figures passed down through the ages, some have been very obviously held by many hands. They represent women’s wisdom, connection to life, regeneration, and reproduction, life and death, where all human, plant and animal life came from and returned to.

Under Matriarchal societies women would have autonomy over their bodies. Evidence from prehistoric women suggests that they may have used plants to induce abortions and manage their sexual lives. Later the early Egyptians used thick plant pastes to block the progress of sperm. Native women on Java inserted small objects in the womb to stop them being able to conceive, this is based on the practice of placing a small stone in a camels womb to stop them conceiving. It makes a lot of sense that women would have had this knowledge and also known which herbs to use for childbirth. Women would have undoubtedly been keen to maintain the balance in the environment to ensure the survival of their children.

It has been suggested by recent archaeologist’s that hunter-gather societies were a much more peaceful society than previously envisioned, but the rise in patriarchal systems led to a desire to develop large populations, as slaves, cheap labour, and to have a pool of people to fight in wars to protect assets and land.  Later on women healers were suppressed in order to control the economic rivalry to their male counterparts as they were establishing their new profession.

“Invariably, the deities of the old ways become demons in the new; what was good becomes evil. Woman, as chief representative of the old ways, suffers the consequences as the ancient mother goddess figure is blamed for man’s fall from grace. Even the pangs of birth, rather than part of the divine act of producing a miracle, became woman’s just deserts.” (2)

Bibliography

(1) – Cirotteau, Thomas; Kerner, Jennifer; Pincas, Eric. Lady Sapiens: Breaking Stereotypes About Prehistoric Women

(2) Achterberg, Jeanne. Woman as Healer Shambhala

Goettner-Abendroth, Heide Matriarchal Societies of the Past and the Rise of Patriarchy: West Asia and Europe . Peter Lang Inc., International Academic Publishers.

Sjoo, Monica; Mor, Barbara. The Great Cosmic Mother: Rediscovering the Religion of the Earth

Marija Gimbutas. The Living Goddesses

About Rox

I am a community herbalist & human rights activist.  I work in the sphere of women’s well-being.  My work aims to bring to light the history of magic, women, and how we have been excluded from the medical sphere and society; as herbalism, women, nature, indigenous knowledge, and egalitarian ways of living have been swept aside.  I hope to awaken the seed of animism within you to remind you of the sacredness and aliveness of everything on the planet – plants, stones, rivers….to reconnect you to our ancestral knowledge through reconnecting with the ancestors and our plantcestors.  I have an online membership, in-person workshops and a podcast. www.roxmadeira.com

I am also the founding director and facilitator of Movement in Thyme, a grassroots non-profit aiming to make herbalism accessible, grow herbal gardens for community resilience, and support refugee populations with workshops and herbal remedies

Explore the Archives

As the Herb Society approaches its Centenary year (2027), we’re excited to be able to develop our website pages to give fuller account of the history of the society and all the fascinating people and stories who’ve been associated with it through the years. There is a wealth of archive material that we’re keen to share more widely, giving plenty of scope for volunteers to get involved. If you’d like to be part of the team helping draw out these stories and developing an engaging set of web pages, get in touch with Nichole at [email protected]