Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Queen Hatshepsut

I've mentioned the health problems of the ancient Egyptians featuring ankylosing spondylitis and its associated IBS. Now add to that obesity, dental abcesses, diabetes and disseminated bone cancer. That was just one queen who ate to the USDA food pyramid.

I wonder how the tooth was snapped off. I wouldn't have wanted to have been her dentist!

Peter

PS Here's the quote as the NY Times link needs registration:

"CT scans led physicians to conclude that the woman was about 50 when she died. She was overweight and had bad teeth. She probably had diabetes and died of bone cancer, which had spread through her body"

and about the broken tooth from SAWF news:

"They said the final clue was a tooth found within a wooden box inscribed with the female Pharaoh's name, which matched exactly to the space of the missing molar and the broken root in the mummy’s jaw socket"

Ouch!

1 comment:

Thomas said...

Ah, that should be King or Pharaoh Hatshepsut. She even wore a (fake) beard) just like the male Pharaohs. Later in her reign she had her statues more masculine in appearance.