Building
Apothecary's workshop
Period: 12th century as spicer's or infirmary workroom; distinct apothecary trade later
In 12th-century England remedies were prepared mainly by monastic infirmarers and by spicers who sold imported spices and drugs; the Guild of Pepperers in London is recorded from 1180. Apothecaries emerged as a distinct trade later, within the Grocers' Company, and by the mid-16th century compounded and sold medicines to the public. A 12th-century workroom would hold mortars, scales, jars of herbs and spices, and a small hearth.
Caveats (confidence: medium)
The 12th-century equipment described is generic; experimental 'small-batch chemistry' fits later centuries better.
Sources: apothecaries.org · dhi.ac.uk
Built from
- Apothecary's workshop