The study of ancient remains allows us to reconstruct scenes and events that happened in the remote past.
For example, from the study of the mummy of Saqnounri, a pharaoh of the XVIIth dynasty has been deduced that he met his death in an attack by at eats two and probably more person armed with at least two (probably three or more) implements one of which was probably an axe and another a spear.
The absence of any injuries to the arms or to any other part of the body shows that no resistance could have been offered to the attack. It is quite possible that the wound may have been inflicted while Saqnounri was lying down on his right side.
The study of ancient human remains has confirmed that many present day illness affected man in the remote past.
Skeletal; remains show signs of such diseases of development and metabolism as hydrocephalus, spina bifida, congenital club foot, Paget’s disease, osteoporosis, rickets, osteomalacia, acromegaly, microcephaly, achondroplasia.
Many tumors have been identified in mummies an ancient bones: osteomas, osteochondromas, agiomas, meningiomas, osteosarcomas and others.
The tumor from prehistoric and early historic periods, however is quite small, possibly because in ancient times people died at an early age, whereas tumors tend to develop later in life.
The Study of Ancient Remains
Learn history of medicine, learn how the medicine provide explanations for birth, death and disease. History of medicine shows how ideas have developed over the centuries, and medicine had arrived at its modern state through the course of history.
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
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