Hesyre: The First Recorded Physician and Dental Surgeon in History

2013 ◽  
Vol 89 ◽  
pp. 181-202
Author(s):  
Roger Forshaw
Keyword(s):  
Medical Practice ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Early Period ◽  
Ancient Egypt ◽  
Medical Procedures ◽  
High Court ◽  
Ancient Egyptian ◽  
Practice Of Medicine ◽  
Modern Medical Practice ◽  
Egyptian History

Hesyre was a high court official in ancient Egypt and lived about 2650 bc during the reign of King Djoser. He managed to combine religious as well as secular posts, and has the distinction of being the first recorded physician and firstknown dentist in history. Healthcare developed at an early period in ancient Egyptian history as is supported by the evidence from the skeletal and mummified remains, from the artistic record, as well as from inscriptional and textual sources. These textual sources, the medical papyri, provide details of medical procedures undertaken, drugs employed and treatments provided - some of which have influenced modern medical practice. What we know about Hesyre comes from his impressive tomb at Saqqara, the walls of which are brightly decorated with items of daily life. Additionally, the tomb contained six fine wooden panels listing Hesyres titles, among them those relating to his practice of medicine and dentistry.

The royal mummies of ancient Egypt:An odyssey of discoveries and a fascinating source of data

1970 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Frédéric Bauduer
Keyword(s):  
Ancient Egypt ◽  
Age At Death ◽  
Valuable Source ◽  
Ancient Egyptian ◽  
Egyptian History ◽  
Source Of Information

Thanks to mummification, the physical remains of many rulers of ancient Egypt are still observable today and constitute a valuable source of information. By evaluating the age at death and sometimes elucidating the degree of kinship and circumstances of death, our knowledge of ancient Egyptian history becomes more precise. Different pathologic conditions have been found and the evolution of the mummification process can be seen through time.The most spectacular discovery was that of Tutankhamen’s mummy, the single totally undisturbed tomb, associated with a fabulous treasure.The mummy of Ramses II has been extensively studied, the only one that flew to Paris where an irradiation was delivered in order to eradicate a destructive fungal infection.The identification of Akhenaten’s mummy and the explanation for his peculiar appearance are still unsolved problems.Noticeably, many Royal mummies remain of uncertain identity or undiscovered hitherto.

The Oxford Handbook of Egyptology

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Ancient Egypt ◽  
Environmental Aspects ◽  
Ancient Egyptian ◽  
Current State ◽  
Egyptian Culture ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Current Characteristics ◽  
The Many ◽  
Key Aspects ◽  
Egyptian History

The Oxford Handbook of Egyptology presents a series of articles by colleagues working across the many archaeological, philological and cultural subdisciplines within the study of ancient Egypt from prehistory through to the end of the Roman Period. The volume seeks to place Egyptology within its theoretical, methodological, and historical contexts, both indicating how the subject has evolved and discussing its distinctive contemporary problems, issues and potential. Transcending conventional boundaries between archaeological and ancient textual analysis, it stresses the need for Egyptology to seek multidisciplinary methods and broader collaborations if it is to remain contemporary and relevant. It therefore serves as a reference work not only for those working within the discipline, but also as a gateway into Egyptology for archaeologists, anthropologists, sociologists and linguists. The book is organized into ten parts, the first of which examines the many different historical and geographical perspectives that have influenced the development and current characteristics of the discipline. Part II addresses the various environmental aspects of the subject: landscapes, climate, flora, fauna and the mineral world. Part III considers a variety of practical aspects of the ways in which Egyptologists survey, characterize and manage landscapes. Part IV discusses materials and technology, from domestic architecture and artefacts through to religious and funerary items. Part V deals with Egypt’s relations with neighbouring regions and peoples, while Part VI explores the sources and interpretive frameworks that characterize different phases of ancient Egyptian history. Part VII is concerned with textual and iconographic approaches to Egyptian culture, and Part VIII comprises discussions of the key aspects of ancient Egyptian scripts and philology. Part IX presents summaries of the current state of the subject in relation to a variety of textual genres, from letters and autobiographies to socio-economic, magical and mathematical texts. The final section covers different aspects of museology and conservation.

scholarly journals Tree Rings and the Chronology of Ancient Egypt

Radiocarbon ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 56 (04) ◽  
pp. S85-S92
Author(s):  
Pearce Paul Creasman
Keyword(s):  
Tree Ring ◽  
Tree Rings ◽  
Radiocarbon Dating ◽  
Ancient Egypt ◽  
Fundamental Aspect ◽  
Potential Solution ◽  
Tree Ring Chronology ◽  
Ancient Egyptian ◽  
Egyptian History

A fundamental aspect of ancient Egyptian history remains unresolved: chronology. Egyptologists (and researchers in related fields that synchronize their studies with Egypt) currently rely on a variety of insufficiently precise methodologies (king lists, radiocarbon dating, etc.) from which to derive seemingly “absolute” dates. The need for genuine precision has been recognized for a century, as has the potential solution: dendrochronology. This manuscript presents a case for further progress toward the construction of a tree-ring chronology for ancient Egypt.

scholarly journals The Ancient Egyptian Testamentary Disposition

Fundamina ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 199-231
Author(s):  
Nico van Blerk
Keyword(s):  
Ancient Egypt ◽  
Ancient Egyptian ◽  
Legal Perspective ◽  
Egyptian History

This contribution discusses the ancient Egyptian testamentary disposition document as an arrangement made prior to death. It discusses from a legal perspective different documents used for this purpose. The purpose of a testamentary disposition was to make decisions about one’s assets before death. An attempt is made to indicate that the testamentary disposition document was used from very early in ancient Egyptian history and different documents were used as a will by the testator/testatrix. The purpose of the testamentary disposition was, essentially, to alter the customary intestate succession law. The initial emphasis and connection with religion diminished as different documents were used to make provision prior to death of what was to become of one’s estate. Studying these different testamentary dispositions, we may learn more about testate succession law in ancient Egypt.

scholarly journals Book Review: Artifacts from Ancient Egypt

2019 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 125
Author(s):  
Amanda K. Sprochi
Keyword(s):  
Material Culture ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Ancient Egypt ◽  
Roman Period ◽  
General Outline ◽  
Beliefs And Practices ◽  
Ancient Egyptian ◽  
The People

Artifacts from Ancient Egypt, a new title in the Greenwood Daily Life through Artifacts series, utilizes objects of daily life from ancient Egypt to illuminate the ways in which material culture reflects the lifeways of the people who produce it. In keeping with the general outline of the series, author Barbara Mendoza, a Berkeley-trained specialist in ancient Egyptian and eastern Mediterranean art and archaeology, has selected 45 pieces that reflect the customs, beliefs, and practices of ancient Egyptians from the earliest Predynastic era (ca. 5000 BCE) through the late Graeco-Roman period (ca. 300 CE). The material culture of ancient Egypt is particularly adapted to this kind of treatment, given its deeply ornamented and symbolic nature, and is an excellent beginner’s guide to understanding and interpreting how material culture reflects the society that created it.

scholarly journals The Ancient Egyptian Testamentary Disposition

Fundamina ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 199-231
Author(s):  
Nico van Blerk
Keyword(s):  
Ancient Egypt ◽  
Ancient Egyptian ◽  
Legal Perspective ◽  
Egyptian History

This contribution discusses the ancient Egyptian testamentary disposition document as an arrangement made prior to death. It discusses from a legal perspective different documents used for this purpose. The purpose of a testamentary disposition was to make decisions about one’s assets before death. An attempt is made to indicate that the testamentary disposition document was used from very early in ancient Egyptian history and different documents were used as a will by the testator/testatrix. The purpose of the testamentary disposition was, essentially, to alter the customary intestate succession law. The initial emphasis and connection with religion diminished as different documents were used to make provision prior to death of what was to become of one’s estate. Studying these different testamentary dispositions, we may learn more about testate succession law in ancient Egypt.

Animals in ancient Egyptian religion

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salima Ikram
Keyword(s):  
Religious Belief ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Ancient Egypt ◽  
Religious Practices ◽  
Significant Feature ◽  
Self Identity ◽  
Ancient Egyptian ◽  
Egyptian Religion ◽  
Egyptian History

In addition to providing food, companionship, and raw materials for clothing, furniture, tools, and ornaments, animals also played a key role in religious practices in ancient Egypt. Apart from serving as sacrifices, each god had one or more animal as a totem. Certain specially marked exemplars of these species were revered as manifestations of that god that enjoyed all the privileges of being a deity during their lifetime and which were mummified and buried with pomp upon their death. Other animals, which did not bear the distinguishing marks, were mummified and offered to the gods, transmitting the prayers of devotees directly to their divinities. These number in the millions and were a significant feature of Egyptian religious belief and self-identity in the later periods of Egyptian history.

scholarly journals Tree Rings and the Chronology of Ancient Egypt

Radiocarbon ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. S85-S92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pearce Paul Creasman
Keyword(s):  
Tree Ring ◽  
Tree Rings ◽  
Radiocarbon Dating ◽  
Ancient Egypt ◽  
Fundamental Aspect ◽  
Potential Solution ◽  
Tree Ring Chronology ◽  
Ancient Egyptian ◽  
Egyptian History

A fundamental aspect of ancient Egyptian history remains unresolved: chronology. Egyptologists (and researchers in related fields that synchronize their studies with Egypt) currently rely on a variety of insufficiently precise methodologies (king lists, radiocarbon dating, etc.) from which to derive seemingly “absolute” dates. The need for genuine precision has been recognized for a century, as has the potential solution: dendrochronology. This manuscript presents a case for further progress toward the construction of a tree-ring chronology for ancient Egypt.

Ancient Egyptian fauna

2015 ◽  
pp. 150-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salima Ikram
Keyword(s):  
Daily Life ◽  
Ancient Egypt ◽  
Changing Environment ◽  
Ancient Egyptian ◽  
The Future ◽  
Egyptian Culture ◽  
History Of ◽  
Artistic Images ◽  
Key Indicators ◽  
Vast Range

The vast range of animals found in ancient Egypt not only contributed to creating its language and religion, but they were also a mainstay of its economy, and played key roles in daily life, ranging from providers of food to companionship. They are also key indicators in our understanding of the changing environment. The study of Egyptian fauna can thus elucidate many aspects of ancient Egyptian culture. This chapter outlines the sources available for the study of animals in Egypt, such as artistic images, texts, and physical remains. It provides an overview of the history of Egyptian archaeozoology, outlines current methods, and goes on to look at the future of this discipline within Egyptology.

Clinical Judgment Revisited

1999 ◽  
Vol 38 (04/05) ◽  
pp. 279-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. L. Weed
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Medical Practice ◽  
Clinical Judgment ◽  
Medical Information ◽  
Patient Records ◽  
Practice Of Medicine ◽  
The Way

AbstractIt is widely recognised that accessing and processing medical information in libraries and patient records is a burden beyond the capacities of the physician’s unaided mind in the conditions of medical practice. Physicians are quite capable of tremendous intellectual feats but cannot possibly do it all. The way ahead requires the development of a framework in which the brilliant pieces of understanding are routinely assembled into a working unit of social machinery that is coherent and as error free as possible – a challenge in which we ourselves are among the working parts to be organized and brought under control.Such a framework of intellectual rigor and discipline in the practice of medicine can only be achieved if knowledge is embedded in tools; the system requiring the routine use of those tools in all decision making by both providers and patients.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document