Ancient Egyptians Civilization

Ancient Egyptians do not routinely check into hospitals complaining of chest pains or sore muscles. There are no current medical reports that outline the symptoms or diagnosis of an ancient Egyptian's stomachache and no ancient Egyptian h shown up to any contemporary clinics for blood tests.

Modern scientists

The only way, therefore, for modem scientists and anthropologists to examine the cause, result, and other factors of ancient Egyptians diseases is to study the preserved mummies. Through CAT scans, DNA tests and other high tech methods, the life, sickness, and death ofthe ancients has become, in many cases, starting clea One of the earliest advances in the study of Egyptian pathology came in 1973, when the first successful autopsy was performed on a 2700 year-old male mummy. The hands, eyelashes, and most importantly, the intemal organs were in surprisingly good condition and promised to provide scientists with numerous details. The results of the autopsy yielded an abundance of evidence that outlined the life and death ofthis young man, it was determined, from the amount of carbon in his lungs, that he had black lung ong suspected to be a common ailment of the Egyptians, as we as a quantity of sand in his lungs. Also found during the disease, autopsy was evidence of arteriosclerosis, ear infection, and a parasitic roundworm. Aside from he astounding discoveries that this first mummy autopsy gave up, it also led to the founding of the Paleopathology Association, a group dedicated to the study and research of ancient diseases. Since this autopsy, the Association has been at work examining not only the causes of death of the Egyptians, but also how their nesses into specific historical contexts. One of the next projects for the Association was the examination of a body that had been identified as a weaver from Thebes who lived during the 20th Dynasty. Being able to place the body in a speciic time and place, as well as ascertain details about his life, would lend greater importance to the facts discovered during the autopsy. Teams of specialists worked for weeks on the d Nakht, and were reward ed with the discovery that his organs were still in place inside of the chest cavity, organs mummy name that would reveal much about the mummy's quality of life and possible cause of death. Also discovered inside ofthe cranial cavity was Nakht's brain, completely dried out yet otherwise intact The fact his organs remained inside of the body, and that the bandages used to wrap the carcass were not soaked in resin, led the scientists to believe that Nakhts family was not wealthy, nor was he important enough for a proper mummincation ritual. By examining his skeletal structure, intermal organs, and skin cells, scientists were able to learn much about Nakhts life, as wel as life in ancient Egypt in general. For example. like the previous mummy autopsied, Nakht suffered from black lung disease leading the scientists to believe that this may have been an epidemic problem. Also discovered was the trichinosis parasite, a surprising find, since it pointed to the fact that ancient Egyptians did indeed eat pork, trary to the earlier beliefs of Egyptologists. Also found was the parasite schistosomiasis, which attacks liver and kidney functions and is a serious problem in modem-day Egypt as well. The most important find however, came months after the autopsy. A researcher examining the lungs discovered within them particles of red granite, a rock that did not exist in Thebes where Nakht had lived, Since grinding the granite blocks hipped from Aswan in preparation for the master carvers was often a sentence imposed on criminals, it was assumed, therefore, that Nakht had violated the law in some way. An exa mination of the mummy of Ramesses revealed a probl em common to most ancient Egyptian citizens, rich and poor degenerative dental nesses. Many examined mummies were found to have badly worn teeth dicative of poor hygiene, but also of the proliferation of desert sands in the Egyptians foods. The sand blew across the desert and settled into the breads and othe foodstuffs and acted as a grinding surface that led to abscesses, exposed nerves, and other sorts of dental problems. Ironically the bakers themselves would add sand to the bread mixture, in order to grind the grain into a finer powde A priestess named Diedmaatesankh had contracted from the sand in her diet a dental abscess so painful and severe that it eventually led to her death. Discoveries such as these, which shed the light on thousands of years of mystery, encouragedthe scientists to explore more advanced methods of studying the mummies with some mummies, as in the case of Ramesses autopsies were not possible. and altematives had to be found, X Rays, CAT scans, and endoscopy are a methods employed by the scientists in their search for more and more information. The condition of internal organs, tissue, and bone are a direct result of lifestyle, and investigations into a mummys pathology would lead scientists and Egyptologists to a greater understanding of social and familial environments or the ancient people. Egyptologists can leam much from comins, funerary remains and inscriptions on tomb walls, but an individu al life cannot be completely understood without d examination of the individual. For example, from Nakhts casket, Egyptologists have ascertained his occupation and place of employment. His burial location informed us of where he lived during his life and his social stature. However, it is only through the examination of his body that the details of the bigger picture come into focus. For instance, there are stress lines on the bones ofhis legs indicating that he was both malnourished and spent much of his time in a squatting position. Since he was a weaver, this squatting positon was assumed, but the scientific evidence has now been able to back up this hypothesis Tissue samples from ancient mummies are also used today in determining cause of and in search of cures for the modem illnesses schistosomiasis and malaria. In 1996. Rosalie David formed the Schistosomiasis Project, a research venture dedicated to the exa mination of the parasitic disease that seemed to have plagued a good portion ofthe ancient ans. In addition to the advances that may be made in contemporary parasitc and malarial research.

Mummies

David's project made available thousands of mummy tissue samples for other Egyptol to use in their own investigations. For instance, some of these tissue samples are now being used in a study to examine the possible use by ancient Egyptians or lotus flowers and other flora as recreational drugs Drug use, like physical indications of disease. will provide Egyptologists with aspects of daily life, including distinctions of class Royal mummies will be re-examined side by side withtheir common counterparts to determine differences, if any, between the health of people of noble birth, and that of the commoners. One of the more interesting conclusions drawn from the study of mummies is that there were perhaps few Egyptians who didn't suffer from one or more diseases during their adult ife. Many Egyptians suffered from anemia, which made them constanty fatigued and sluggish. Young boys, stricken with the schistosomi asis parasite, frequently urinated blood until past their pubescent development Many of the people sutered from malnutrition, which led to bone and skeletal deformation as well as a weakened immune system. With these diseases often came chroni c, debilitating pain, and yet, Rosalie David points out, They built the pyramids. erected the magnificent temple of Queen Hatshepsut, and created the timeless wall carvings inside the temple of Sethos (CVMM, 170) These accomplishments truly point to a people of strong wi able to work through the pain and ness that apparently plagued them and construct a timeless legacy worthy of generations of study.
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