Saxon first aid

The reconstruction cameo for this programme was based around Saxon medicine and remedies. The experimental archaeology group 'Theod' set up a small encampment, complete with tent and camp fire, on a piece of land at the back of the incident room. Ian and Hazel Uzzell (Saxon names Billa and Ythe) head the group together with their daughter Jenny (Bebbe) and fellow re-enactor Martin Williams (Oswiu). Ythe was interviewed for the Time Team website across her table of concoctions.

'The selection of things we have here are from a slightly later date because there are no written resources about medicine from the early Anglo-Saxon period,' says Ythe. 'Even so, we are quite sure that these things were being used by the Saxons.' She explains the different remedies in turn.

'The first remedy we have is red wine and the herb betony, which would be mixed together to cure a broken head. Next is goat's milk and holly bark – used for asthma – or there's always goat's milk curds, used for ulcerated skin. For making a poultice we have breadcrumbs, lard, coriander and house leek. This would be mixed together and applied to help reduce a swelling.'

Moving along the table, Ythe becomes more enthused: 'We also have dried yarrow herb. At this time of year [spring] herbs would be few and far between, so dried stocks would be used. Yarrow was good for treating adder bites as a poultice, or sometimes carried in a little cloth bag for warding off the snakes.

'Other useful medicines include radish and salt ground together for an aching heart. This would be placed in a bowl of hot water to act as a vapour treatment. We also have ground comfrey root. This was burnt and then ground into a powder and added to honey. Taken internally it was recommended for anybody whose intestines had burst!'

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