Old age began at 60 in the Middle Ages and, contrary to popular belief, a surprising number of people reached that birthday and surpassed it. Remedies for wrinkles and hair loss, plus a wealth of advice on food, sleep, exercise, mental stimulation and sex was available to those needing it in their later years.
Advice for (medieval) old age
Words by Katherine Harvey
- In pictures
About the author
Katherine Harvey
Dr Katherine Harvey is a medieval historian based at Birkbeck, University of London. She is the author of ‘The Fires of Lust: Sex in the Middle Ages’ (Reaktion, 2021), a Sunday Times Paperback of the Week. Her writing has appeared in publications including BBC History Magazine, History Today, The Sunday Times, The Times Literary Supplement, and The Atlantic.