The Silent Healers: Unveiling Care for the Disabled in the Past

For millennia, archaeology has painted a largely homogenous picture of the past. While skeletal remains and artifacts offer invaluable insights into ancient societies, they often overlook a crucial segment of the population - disabled and/or impaired individuals. Historically relegated to the fringes of historical narratives, these individuals have been categorized as "liminal" figures (Doat, 2017), existing on the margins and receiving scant attention (Metzler, 2013). When disability is acknowledged in the archaeological record, it's often framed through a lens of pity, focusing on suffering and despair (Metzler, 2013). This narrow perspective leads to a skewed understanding of past societies, omitting the rich tapestry of experiences woven by those navigating disability.This exclusion has significant consequences. By neglecting disabled individuals, we create an incomplete picture of the past. Archaeology, with its focus on past lifeways, has the potential to reveal a more nuanced understanding of how societies cared for their members. This necessitates a shift in perspective, moving beyond the traditional focus on pathology and impairment towards a recognition of the complex social dynamics surrounding disability.