The Greek physician Galen of Pergamon (ca. AD 129 – 200/216) is arguably the most accomplished of all medical researchers of antiquity. The sixth century Syriac translation of his famous work On Simple Drugs was later erased and obscured when the parchment was reused for monastic writings. We have used powerful synchrotron X-rays, to bring to light these hidden writings, helping scholars to understand how Galen’s work spread East and how the Syriac language influenced the Arabic translations.
Tags: Cultural Memory, Digitalisation, Cultural heritage