Archaeologists using Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) have discovered a sprawling architectural complex in the Fertile Crescent that served as a specialized center for healing during the Neolithic. The study, appearing in the journal Antiquity, details a series of circular structures containing unique stone vats and specialized flint tools used for early medicinal processing.
Chemical analysis of residues on the floors indicates the presence of fermented herbal tinctures and resins. The discovery suggests that prehistoric societies had established permanent institutions for communal health and the systematic study of ethnobotany as early as 9000 BCE, challenging the view that specialized medical infrastructure was a feature only of later urban civilizations.