Sylvia Rose
Wolfsbane (Aconitum) Ancient Poisons
Wolfsbane, monk's hood (Aconitum) delivers a lethal dose of poison. In the ancient world, poison plays a vital part, from death by elixir...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 36 min read
Women Scientists of the Ancient World
Women scientists work wonders in the ancient world. Science in history includes astrology, astronomy, medicine, alchemy, chemistry,...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 24 min read
Chun Yuyan & Death of Empress Xu
Chun Yuyan (Chunyu Yan) is a Chinese court official in the 1st century BCE, during the Han Dynasty. As obstetrician and gynecologist to...
21 views
Sylvia Rose
May 306 min read
Cinnabar (Mercury Sulfide) Red Death
Cinnabar or mercury sulfide (HgS) is a rock composed of mercury (Hg) and sulfur (S). Historically it's used to make vermillion or scarlet...
54 views
Sylvia Rose
May 304 min read
Cleopatra the Physician of Greece
Cleopatra the Physician is an early Greek medical writer and author of a manual entitled Cosmetics. Six fragments of her Cosmetics...
31 views
Sylvia Rose
May 294 min read
Emerald Tablet - Sacred Alchemy Text
The Emerald Tablet, also known as the Smaragdine Table or the Tabula Smaragdina, is a compact and cryptic Hermetic text. The Tablet is of...
33 views
Sylvia Rose
May 295 min read
Egyptian Alchemy - Power of Eternity
Alchemy in Egypt goes beyond transmutation of base metals into noble gold or silver. In the civilizations of Egypt, Arabia, India, China...
35 views
Sylvia Rose
May 286 min read
Quest for Immortality - Qin Shi Huang
Qin Shihuang (Qin Shi Huang) is China's first Emperor. He ascends to the throne as King at age 13 in 246 BCE. Twenty five years later he...
25 views
Sylvia Rose
May 276 min read
Chinese Alchemical Elixir Poisoning
Chinese alchemical elixir poisoning in ancient China is generally a death of the rich. Poisoning occurs over time or swiftly, caused by...
41 views
Sylvia Rose
May 274 min read
Anqi Sheng & the Elixir of Immortality
Anqi Sheng (An Qisheng) is a wizard of Chinese lore. He lives on mystic Penglai Mountain Island and has the power to turn invisible. The...
27 views
Sylvia Rose
Apr 154 min read
Alum: Tanning, Dye & Beauty Salts
Alum is an ingredient in processes such as dyeing fabric, tanning hides and water purification. Alum is ubiquitous in ancient and...
32 views
Sylvia Rose
Apr 144 min read
Tanning Hides - Ancient Techniques
Tanning hides is practiced in the ancient world since c. 7000 BCE, in the Indus Valley site of Mehgarh. By 2500 BCE, Sumerians of...
20 views
Sylvia Rose
Apr 45 min read
Mugwort (Wormwood) Herbal Lore
Mugworts are used in folk medicine of India, China, Europe, America and other regions. A member of the Artemisia genus, mugwort is also...
48 views
Sylvia Rose
Mar 236 min read
Yarrow (Achillea) Magic & Medicine
Yarrow is an herb of magic and medicine. A flowering plant native to the northern hemisphere yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is commonly...
33 views
Sylvia Rose
Mar 66 min read
Red Ocher (Ochre) Ancient Pigments
Red ocher is among the first colors appearing on the palette of early humans, along with white and red. Black, white and red are also...
60 views
Sylvia Rose
Mar 14 min read
Woad, the People's Blue: Ancient Pigments
Woad ( Isatis tinctoria ) is a plant yielding a blue pigment used in dyes, paint and medicine. A member of the mustard family, it's also...
49 views
Sylvia Rose
Feb 47 min read
Khet, the Body: Death Rites of Ancient Egypt
Khet represents the physical body and is considered part of the soul in ancient Egypt. The soul is made of eight parts. Together they...
55 views
Sylvia Rose
Jan 104 min read
Salt Trade - the Most Precious Mineral
Salt is an essential mineral of life. In food it stimulates taste and is among the oldest preservation methods. Part of the human taste...
48 views
Sylvia Rose
Dec 19, 20235 min read
Cinnamon - Spice Trade of Ancients
Cinnamon ( Cinnamomum ) is the oldest known spice in the world. The fragrant bark comes into popular use by c. 2000 BCE, when Egyptians...
51 views
Sylvia Rose
Dec 13, 20235 min read
Jade - Jadeite, Nephrite & Jade Roads
Nephrite jade is the foremost commodity to travel along the Pacific Coasts of the East. The seaway route is the original Jade Road named...
54 views
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