Stefan Hanß, member of The Bodies, Emotions and Material Culture Collective, designed and delivered the first interdisciplinary research project to analyse the biochemical residues of historical users of early modern medical and cosmetic manuscripts.

The pathbreaking findings of this project have been now published in the American Historical Review, and received wide attention in media across the world, for example, in Argentina (Lobos News); Australia (Sydney’s radio station 2RPH: “Antiques Radio Show,” episode #94); Belgium (RTBF); Brazil (Aventuras na história; Galileu: Arqueologia; ICTQ; Metrópoles; O Globo; R7); Canada (La Nature); Costa Rica (La nación); France (Conversation); Germany (Bild der Wissenschaften no. 04/2024); India (Bhopalsamachar); Israel (Mignews); Japan (Gigazine); Mexico (Infobae); Philippines (Manila Times); Poland (Interia Geekweek); Romania (Historia); Spain (Muy interesante); Turkey (Arkeofili); UK (Conversation; Daily Star; GHL Podcast; The Sun); US (AOL; c&en; LiveScience; Popular Mechanics; Smithsonian Magazine; Yahoo!news).

In a press statement, Professor Pamela H. Smith (Columbia), not involved in the study, stated: “The originality and innovation of the study cannot be overstated.”

Image credits: Stefan Hanß et al. “The Scientific Analysis of Renaissance Recipes: Proteomics, Medicine, and the Body in the Material Renaissance.” The American Historical Review (2025): rhaf405, https://doi.org/10.1093/ahr/rhaf405.

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