Something Old, Something New—Computed Tomography Studies of the Cardiovascular System in Ancient Egyptian Mummies

Allam, Adel H.; Nureldin, Abdelhalium; Adelmaksoub, Gomma; Badr, Ibrahem; Amer, Hamada H.; Soliman, Muhamed Al-Tohamy; Thomas, Gregory S.; Thompson, Randall C.; Miyamoto, Michael I.; Thomas, Ian; Thompson, Andrew; Wann, Samuel

doi:10.15420/ahhj.2010.8.1.10

Cited by 12 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…The HORUS Study is an ongoing investigation into the health of ancient Egyptians using CT scanning as the principle tool. The details of mummy selection and CT scan approach have been described elsewhere (Allam, , , ; Thompson, ). In brief, the study and its continuation were approved on three occasions by vote of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Orthopedic Diseases of Ancient Egypt

Fritsch

Hamoud

Allam

et al. 2015

The Anatomical Record

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Background: CT scanning of ancient human remains has the potential to provide insights into health and diseases. While Egyptian mummies have undergone CT scans in prior studies, a systematic survey of the orthopedic conditions afflicting a group of these ancient individuals has never been carried out. Methods: We performed whole body CT scanning on 52 ancient Egyptian mummies using technique comparable to that of medical imaging. All of the large joints and the spine were systematically examined and osteoarthritic (OA) changes were scored 0-4 using Kellgren and Lawrence classification. Results: The cruciate ligaments and menisci could be identified frequently. There were much more frequent OA changes in the spine (25 mummies) than in the large joints (15 cases of acromioclavicular and/or glenohumeral joint OA changes, five involvement of the ankle, one in the elbow, four in the knee, and one in the hip). There were six cases of scoliosis. Individual mummies had the following conditions: juvenile aseptic necrosis of the hip (Perthes disease), stage 4 osteochondritis dissecans of the knee, vertebral compression frac-

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Orthopedic Diseases of Ancient Egypt

Fritsch

Hamoud

Allam

et al. 2015

The Anatomical Record

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“…Using a Siemens Emotion 6 slice CT scanner (Florsheim, Germany) on site at the Egyptian National Museum of Antiquities in Cairo, Egypt in February 2009, the initial Horus team imaged 20 mummies and was provided the CT scans of two others [10][11][12]. The CT scanner was initially donated by Siemens and the National Geographic Society to image Pharaoh Tutankhamun.…”

Section: Horus Study Team Investigationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is atherosclerosis fundamental to human aging? Lessons from ancient mummies

Clarke

Thompson

Allam

et al. 2014

Journal of Cardiology

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Case reports from Johan Czermak, Marc Ruffer, and others a century or more ago demonstrated ancient Egyptians had atherosclerosis three millennia ago. The Horus study team extended their findings, demonstrating that atherosclerosis was prevalent among 76 ancient Egyptian mummies and among 61 mummies from each of the ancient cultures of Peru, the American Southwest, and the Aleutian Islands. These findings challenge the assumption that atherosclerosis is a modern disease caused by present day risk factors. An extensive autopsy of an ancient Egyptian teenage male weaver named Nakht found that he was infected with four parasites: Schistosoma haematobium, Taenia species, Trichinella spiralis, and Plasmodium falciparum. Modern day patients with chronic inflammatory disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and human immunodeficiency virus experience premature atherosclerosis. Could the burden of chronic inflammatory disease have been a risk factor for atherosclerosis in these ancient cultures? The prevalence of atherosclerosis in four diverse ancient cultures is consistent with atherosclerosis being fundamental to aging. The impact of risk factors in modern times, and potentially in ancient times, suggests a strong gene-environmental interplay: human genes provide a vulnerability to atherosclerosis, the environment determines when and if atherosclerosis becomes manifest clinically.

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“…Non obvious fractures, cervical spine appears intact. Under the chin, in front of the neck, the ancient Egyptian did not remove the brain from the skull, but they leave the brain remains, in addition to some remains of resins in order to keep the brain [7] It has been proven through the visual inspection of salt crystals on the mummy face, as well as CT scanning proved to be salt crystals at the bottom of the face between the skin of the face and skull bones, fig. (3-a, b).…”

Section: The Skull and The Headmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Three methods of mummification were described, virtually all subsequent knowledge has been gained by examination of the mummies themselves [1]. A collection of clippings are scattered carried many of the interpretations, and exegesis and so, the only way for the researchers and scholars is to detect themselves the methods used by the ancient Egyptians to mummify their dead and then as a result of the weakness of the possibilities and scientific instruments were resorting to open coffins in non-scientific ways and even remove the wrapping of the mummies in ways that are inaccurate, which came in a lot of cases to damage cartonnage, coffins, wrapping of mummies and but brought some researchers attempts to dissection the mummies [2]. Despite all of these destructive methods for mummies, but they were not so lucky in the detection of mummification and what they have left us a lot of fallacies that need to be re-examined of the mummification in ancient Egypt.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using C.T Scan as Non Destructive Tool for Mummies Examination Applied on Tayuheret Mummy (1054-1046 B.C.)

Badr

2014

Egyptian Journal of Archaeological and Restoration Studies

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Using the advanced modern technology is considered to be one of the most important methods of scientific examination and registration. This should be used in the field of the conservation of the mummies. Identifying the case of the mummy and putting the mummy outwardly or inwardly is the first stage in the good prognosis of damage, which naturally leads to the development of an appropriate plan for the operations of treatment and conservation starting from the stage of cleaning till museum presentation consistent with the requirements of preventive conservation. Computed Tomography Scanning (CT scanning) since it is non-invasive and does not harm the mummies, has become an important tool for studying many features of ancient Egyptian mummies. Study of ancient Egypt, and particularly the examination of mummies, excites many people from all aspects of life We have been fortunate to be able to apply modern diagnostic methods to the study of ancient human beings. "Tayuheret" mummy the Subject of paper, dates back to the Third Intermediate Period, 21 st dynasty which was discovered in Deir al-Bahari in Luxor in southern Egypt in 1881,now housed in the Egyptian Museum. The study was divided into a full examination of the body from the head, Thorax, abdomen, pelvis and even district legs, CT studies confirm the ancient Egyptian used several methods for the degree of quality of mummification starting from the selection of Suitable materials filler internal to the body, CT studies confirm ancient Egyptian used methods to support the body and maintain the external shape of the mummy's body, research stressed the need for a new reading of the science of mummification according to the latest scientific methods of examination without any destructive effect on the components of the mummies.

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Something Old, Something New—Computed Tomography Studies of the Cardiovascular System in Ancient Egyptian Mummies

Cited by 12 publications

References 8 publications

The Orthopedic Diseases of Ancient Egypt

The Orthopedic Diseases of Ancient Egypt

Is atherosclerosis fundamental to human aging? Lessons from ancient mummies

Using C.T Scan as Non Destructive Tool for Mummies Examination Applied on Tayuheret Mummy (1054-1046 B.C.)

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