---
title: "Timeline of women in science"
chunk: 1/16
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_women_in_science"
category: "reference"
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
date_saved: "2026-05-05T04:04:23.558030+00:00"
instance: "kb-cron"
---

This is a timeline of women in science, spanning from ancient history up to the 21st century. While the timeline primarily focuses on women involved with natural sciences such as astronomy, biology, chemistry, and physics, it also includes women from the social sciences (e.g. sociology, psychology), and the formal sciences (e.g. mathematics, computer science), as well as notable science educators and medical scientists. The chronological events listed in the timeline relate to both scientific achievements and gender equality within the sciences.

== Ancient history ==

1900 BCE: Aganice, also known as Athyrta, was an Egyptian princess during the Middle Kingdom (about 2000–1700 BCE) working on astronomy and natural philosophy.
c. 1505–1458 BCE: Hatshepsut, also known as the Queen Doctor, promoted a botanical expedition searching for officinal plants.
1200 BCE: The Mesopotamian perfume-maker Tapputi-Belatekallim was referenced in the text of a cuneiform tablet. She is often considered the world's first recorded chemist.
500 BCE: Theano was a Pythagorean philosopher.
c. 150 BCE: Aglaonice became the first female astronomer to be recorded in Ancient Greece.

== Early post-classical history ==
1st century BCE: A woman known only as Fang became the earliest recorded Chinese female alchemist. She is credited with "the discovery of how to turn mercury into silver" – possibly the chemical process of boiling off mercury in order to extract pure silver residue from ores.
1st century CE: Mary the Jewess was among the world's first alchemists.
3rd century CE: Cleopatra the Alchemist, an early figure in chemistry and practical alchemy, is credited as inventing the alembic.
c. 300–350 CE: Greek mathematician Pandrosion develops a numerical approximation for cube roots.
c. 350–415 CE: Greek astronomer, mathematician and philosopher Hypatia became renowned as a respected academic teacher, commentator on mathematics, and head of her own science academy.

== Middle Ages ==

c. 620: Rufaida Al-Aslamia, Was recognized as the first Muslim nurse in history.
c. 975: Chinese alchemist Keng Hsien-Seng was employed by the Royal Court. She distilled perfumes, utilized an early form of the Soxhlet process to extract camphor into alcohol, and gained recognition for her skill in using mercury to extract silver from ores.
10th century: Al-ʻIjliyyah manufactured astrolabes for the court of Sayf al-Dawla in Aleppo.
11th century: Li Shao Yun, Chinese chemist
11th century: Zhang Xiaoniang, Chinese physician.
c. 1098–1179: Hildegard of Bingen was a founder of scientific natural history in Germany.
fl. 1119–1182: Sun Bu'er, Chinese chemist.
fl. 1122–1131: Dobrodeia of Kiev, a Rus' princess and Empress of the Eastern Roman Empire, was the first woman to write a treatise on medicine.
1159: The Alsatian nun Herrad of Landsberg (1130–1195) compiled the scientific compendium Hortus deliciarum.
fl. 1176: Helvidis, French physician
fl. 1200: Rebecca Guarna, Italian physician and was known as one of the "Women of Salerno".
Early 12th century: The Italian medical practitioner Trota of Salerno compiled medical works on women's ailments and skin diseases.
12th century: Adelle of the Saracens taught at the Salerno School of Medicine.
fl. 1249–1259: Magistra Hersend, French surgeon.
fl. 1265 Stephanie de Lyon, French physician
fl. 1291 Théophanie, French barber surgeon
fl. 1292 Denice, French barber-surgeon
fl. 1292 Isabiau la Mergesse, French-Jewish physician
fl. ca. 13th century Demud, German physician
fl. 1292–1319: Dame Péronelle, French herbalist.
13th century Shen Yu Hsiu, Chinese chemist
fl. 1300 Gilette de Narbonne, French physician. Giovanni Boccaccio wrote of her in ‘’The Decameron’’, calling her ‘Donna Medica’; Alfred Duru and Henri Chivot wrote a comic opera about her called Gillette de Narbonne.
f. 1307 Trotta da Toya, Napolitan physician
fl. 1308 Francisca di Vestis, Napolian physician
fl. 1309 Maria Gallicia, licensed surgeon
fl. 1313–1325: Ameline la Miresse, French physician
fl. 1318–1324: Adelmota of Carrara was a physician in Padua, Italy.
fl. 1318: Alessandra Giliani, Italian anatomist
1320: Raymunda da Taberna, licensed Napolitan surgeon
fl. 1322: Fava of Manosque, French-Jewish physician
fl. 1322: Jacobina Félicie, Italian physician
fl. 1326: Sara de Sancto Aegidio, French physician.
fl. 1326: Sarah de St Giles, French-Jewish physician and medical teacher
fl. 1333: Constanza, Italian surgeon, mentioned in Pope Sixtus IV edict regarding physicians and surgeons.
fl. 1333: Francisca da Romana, Napolitan physician.
fl. 1333: Isabella da Ocre, Napolitan surgeon.
fl. 1333: Lauretta Ponte da Saracena Calabria, Napolitan physician.
fl. 1333: Margarita da Venosa, licensed Napolitan surgeon, who studied at the University of Salerno She was considered a noteworthy practitioner and counted Ladislaus, king of Naples, as a patient.
fl. 1333: Maria Incarnata, Italian surgeon, mentioned in Pope Sixtus IV edict regarding physicians and surgeons.
fl. 1333: Sibyl of Benevento, Napolitan physician specializing in the plague buboes 
fl. 1333: Thomasia de Mattio, Italian physician, mentioned in Pope Sixtus IV edict regarding physicians and surgeons.
fl. 1335: Polisena da Troya, licensed Napolitan surgeon
d. 1366: Jeanne d'Ausshure, French surgeon
fl. 1374: Floreta La-Noga, Aragonese physician
fl. 1376: Virdimura of Catania, Jewish-Sicilian physician
fl. 1380: Bellayne Gallipapa, Zaragoza, Spanish-Jewish physician
fl. 1384: Dolcich Gallipapa, Leyda, Spanish-Jewish physician
fl. 1384: Juana Sarrovia, Barcelona, Spanish physician
fl. 1387: Na Pla Gallipapa, Zaragoza, Spanish-Jewish physician
late 13th century: Margherita di Napoli, Napolitan oculist active in Frankfurt-am-Main
fl. 1390: Dorotea Bucca, Italian professor of medicine
1386–1408: Maesta Antonia, Florentine physician
14th century: Abella, Italian physician
14th century: Mercuriade, Italian physician and surgeon
fl. 1400: Antonia Daniello, Florentine-Jewish physician
fl. 13th century: Brunetta de Siena, Italian-Jewish physician
fl. 13th century: Caterina of Florence, Florentine physician
fl. 1411: Peretta Peronne, also called Perretta Petone, French surgeon
fl. 1415: Constance Calenda, Italian surgeon specializing in diseases of the eye.
fl. 1438: Jeanne de Cusey, French barber-surgeon
fl. 1460: Marguerite Saluzzi, Napolitan licensed herbalist physician
fl. 1479: Guillemette du Luys, French royal surgeon
d. 1498: Gentile Budrioli (or Gentile Cimieri), Italian astrologer and herbalist
15th century: Clarice di Durisio, Italian physician.
15th century Francesca, muller de Berenguer Satorra, Catalan physician
c. 1494–1526: Katherine Briçonnet French architect.

== 16th century ==