I am delighted to announce that my next public lecture will be for the SSAE on October 12th.
In November 2022, we celebrated the centenary of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s 18th dynasty tomb. Howard Carter and his team unearthed a treasure trove, the likes of which the world had never seen. Due to the sheer volume of artefacts and the meticulous documentation efforts by Carter, the autopsy of Tutankhamun was not conducted until 1925. Over the years, Tutankhamun’s mummy has been examined on three additional occasions. What did the initial autopsy reveal? What insights have recent CT studies provided regarding Tutankhamun’s health, possible cause of death, and mummification techniques?
My latest Article “Vital Organs” is Now Out in Nile Magazine! In this piece, I delve into the fascinating world of ancient Egyptian mummification, challenging some of the long-held beliefs about the process. What if some of what we thought we knew about mummification was wrong?
A huge thank you to editor Jeff Burzacott and the team at Nile! Please click on image below:
Join us in Manchester on the 15th May, 2024 at Hetherington’s Cafe Bar, 8 Pollard St, Manchester, M4 7AJ (7.30-10pm). I’ll be discussing my research on the “Importance and Function of the Human Brain in Ancient Egypt” for the Pint of Science Festival.
What understanding did the ancient Egyptians have of neuroanatomy and neurophysiology and did they really discard the brain during the mummification process? Come and find out!
Coffin of Nedjemankh who was a priest of the god “Heryshaf” at the city of Ahnas. His coffin is made of gilded cartonnage with inlaid eyes and is covered with scenes as well as funerary spells from the Book of the Dead. It dates to the Ptolemaic Period (332-30 BCE).
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York repatriated the coffin to Egypt.
I am delighted to have been one of the consultants on the amazing TV series “CURSES” which premieres on the 27th October, 2023. A huge thank you to Past Preservers and DreamWorks.
The Human Brain in Ancient Egypt provides a medical and historical re-evaluation of the function and importance of the human brain in ancient Egypt. The study evaluates whether treatment of the brain during anthropogenic mummification was linked to medical concepts of the brain. The notion that excerebration was carried out to rid the body of the brain continues to dominate the literature, and the assumption that the functions of the brain were assigned to the heart and therefore the brain was not needed in the afterlife persists. To assess the validity of these claims the study combines three investigations: a radiological survey of 33 subjects using the IMPACT mummy database to determine treatment of the cranium; an examination of the medical papyri for references to the human brain; and an inspection of the palaeopathological records to look for evidence of cranial injuries and ensuing medical treatments.
The results refute long held claims regarding the importance of the human brain in ancient Egypt. Many accepted facets of mummification can no longer hold up to scrutiny. Mummification served a religious ideology in which the deceased was transformed and preserved for eternity. Treatment of the brain was not determined to be significantly different from the visceral organs, and the notion that the brain was extracted because it served no purpose in the afterlife was found to be unsubstantiated.
I am honoured to receive a review of my publication from Dr Sanchez and Dr Meltzer, authors of the exceptional book: “The Edwin Smith Papyrus. Updated Translation of the Trauma Treatise and Modern Medical Commentaries” which was crucial in my research.
A huge thank you to Dr Sanchez for the following review:
“In this work you methodically and strongly and correctly refute the long-held misconception about lack of importance that the brain had for the Ancient Egyptians. Part of this problem has been the unrealistic assumption that our mature concepts of anatomy, physiology and neurology could be uncritically applied to a developing culture of 3000 years + ago. A great achievement of the Egyptian culture was the accumulation and transmission of knowledge that has led to our current structuring of medicine as art and science.
In Chapter 5 you have captured the many clinical “pearls” that demonstrate the Ancient Egyptians’ association of craniocerebral trauma with related high cerebral functions of consciousness, speech, body motion. You have also singled out the very first description by the Ancient Egyptians of the human brain, the cerebrospinal fluid and their accurate physiopathological explanation of the symptom of meningismus.
The histological and molecular analysis of the contents of canopic jars and left over material from embalming caches is an absolute must to ascertain the presence of brain tissue. Perhaps a similar approach can involve studying cranial packing material.“
Gonzalo M. Sanchez M.D. Life Member American Association of Neurological Surgeons.
The Mastaba of Ty stands as one of Saqqara’s most significant archaeological sites. Discovered by Auguste Mariette, this remarkable tomb features walls adorned with scenes depicting everyday life. Ty, a senior official and royal architect during the Fifth Dynasty, served under multiple kings.
I am delighted to be giving a lecture on Saturday, 30th March, 2024, at Chesterfield’s Central Library. For more details please click on the image below:
