Cairo’s mummies solve medical problems
The ancient Egyptians suffered from some seemingly modern illnesses
CAIRO’S ARTEFACTS CAN OFFER A WINDOW INTO THE PAST, BUT CAN THEY SHED LIGHT ON CURRENT PROBLEMS? Well, towards the end of last year the city’s mummies did, when Dr Gregory Thomas, director of nuclear cardiology education at the University of California, Irvine, came across one cadaver with a far-from-antique complaint.
While visiting Cairo’s Egyptian Museum of Antiquities with Dr Adel Allam of the city’s Al Azhar Medical School, Dr Thomas paused beside the mummy of Merenptah, the 13th son of Rameses II (1237–1226 BC). A plaque stated that Merenptah had suffered from arthritis, tooth decay and atherosclerosis. While Dr Thomas didn’t doubt the first two ailments, he did question the final disease, known colloquially as narrowing of the arteries.
“How would he have developed atherosclerosis 3,200 years ago with an all-natural diet, no tobacco and likely much exercise?” wondered Thomas.
In an effort to find out, Dr Thomas and Dr Allam assembled a joint US-Egyptian team and arranged for 22 mummies to be examined using an ultramodern CT scanner. Despite the oldest subject having died around 1550 BC, the team were able to detect calcium deposits in their arteries, a sure sign that the Egyptians suffered from the fatty buildups more commonly associated with 21st-century couch potatoes.
Though Dr Thomas admits that this was one piece of research that made him feel a little like Indiana Jones, he argues that some genuine good might arise from the study.
“If atherosclerosis was rather common so long ago we should look beyond modern risk factors as the only cause,” he says. “One of my patients said in response to the study: ‘It gives me peace of mind. It helps me accept who I am – that I haven’t caused it. I just have to deal with it the best I can.’” AR
