Women in Ancient Egypt: Health and Medicine

My talk on “Women’s Health” in ancient Egypt is now available on YouTube. A huge thank you to all those that attended and for Sarah Janes for being a brilliant host.

Medical treatment for women in ancient Egypt included both magico-religious principles and medical practices. There were a number of deities that specifically protected women during pregnancy, childbirth and illness.

In this talk I discuss Menopause. In my opinion the debilitating effects of declining oestrogen levels were as much a challenge for women in ancient Egypt as they are now. It is a subject that has not been tackled because of the misconception all women in ancient Egypt died by the age of 35. This is simply not accurate.

I also discuss violence and sexual assault against women. This is a difficult and sensitive subject but I feel an important one to address. Finally I look at a subject that is close to my heart – how did women with disabilities cope in ancient Egypt?

“IF STONES COULD SPEAK”

A pleasure to take part in this podcast with the wonderful Working Over Time Team. Thank you to my friend Karen Bellinger for being a brilliant host.

Tutankhamun: Waking the Dead (Channel 5)

It was a pleasure to be invited to talk about Tutankhamun on this fascinating documentary by SandStone Global. Bettany Hughes uses a century of research and the latest scientific evidence to forensically unwrap Tutankhamun’s life.

Aired on Friday, 25th March, 2022 at 9pm.

With the wonderful Bettany Hughes

The Fayum Mummy Portraits: Ancient Diseases Captured in the Brush Strokes of Realism

Archaeological excavations in the Fayum during the late 19th and early 20th century led to the unveiling of several striking painted mummy portraits, representing such profound realism, that they came to be regarded by some as works of exceptional artistic merit and quite possibly the “Rembrandts” of their time. We shall see how the haunting intensity of the eyes, and the impression of distorted facial features executed by the ancient artists, provide a window into the health of individuals that lived nearly 2000 years ago. 
To read my article in full please follow the link below:
https://www.nilemagazine.com.au/