The Human Brain in Ancient Egypt: A Medical and Historical Re-evaluation of Its Function and Importance

Author:   Sofia Aziz
Publisher:   Archaeopress
ISBN:  

9781803274775


Pages:   86
Publication Date:   01 June 2023
Format:   Paperback
Availability:   In Print   Availability explained
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The Human Brain in Ancient Egypt: A Medical and Historical Re-evaluation of Its Function and Importance


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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.

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Author:   Sofia Aziz
Publisher:   Archaeopress
Imprint:   Archaeopress Archaeology
ISBN:  

9781803274775


ISBN 10:   1803274778
Pages:   86
Publication Date:   01 June 2023
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print   Availability explained
This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us.

Table of Contents

Chronology ; Chapter 1: Introduction ; Chapter 2: Literature review ; Chapter 3: A re-evaluation of mummification and treatment of the brain ; Chapter 4: Trauma care and neurosurgery in Ancient Egypt ; Chapter 5: Palaeopathological evidence of cranial surgery ; Chapter 6: Conclusion ; Appendix A ; Appendix B: Book of the Dead: Spell 30b (Faulkner, 2010) ; Appendix C: Book of the Dead: Spell 166: Spell for a headrest (Faulkner, 2010) ; Appendix D ; Bibliography

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Author Information

Sofia Aziz is an independent researcher on the medicine and mummification procedures of the ancient Egyptians. She holds an MSc in Biomedical Egyptology from the KNH Centre, University of Manchester, a BSc Hons in Human Sciences and a Certificate in Egyptology. She regularly gives talks on biomedical Egyptology and has featured in TV documentaries including Tutankhamun: Waking the Dead on Channel 5 with Bettany Hughes.

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