Ancient Egyptians attempted to operate on excessive tissue growth or learn more about cancerous disorders after a patient's death, according to a study on two 4,000-year-old skulls.
Renowned for being one of the early cradles of civilization, ancient Egyptians were skilled in identifying, describing, and treating various diseases and traumatic injuries. They also excelled in constructing prostheses and performing dental work.
An international team of researchers studied two ancient human skulls, one male and one female, to gain further insights into their medical capabilities. The findings, detailed in the journal Frontiers in Medicine, reveal the extent of traumatological and oncological treatments practised by the ancient Egyptians.
Edgard Camaros, a paleopathologist at the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain, described the discovery as "unique and extraordinary" evidence of how ancient Egyptian medicine endeavoured to address or investigate cancer over 4,000 years ago.
The two skulls—Skull and Mandible 236, dating from between 2687 and 2345 BCE, belonged to a male individual aged 30 to 35, while Skull E270, dating from between 663 and 343 BCE, belonged to a female individual who was older than 50 years.
Microscopic observation of Skull 236 revealed a large lesion consistent with excessive tissue destruction, known as neoplasm. Additionally, approximately 30 small, round metastasised lesions were scattered across the skull, with cut marks likely made by a sharp object such as a metal instrument.
"When we first observed the cut marks under the microscope, we could not believe what was in front of us," said Tatiana Tondini, a researcher at the University of Tubingen in Germany.
Analysis of Skull E270 also showed a large lesion consistent with a cancerous tumour that led to bone destruction, along with two lesions from traumatic injuries that had received treatment.
"This may indicate that although today's lifestyle and cancer-causing substances in the environment increase cancer risk, it was also a common pathology in the past," the research team concluded.
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The above article has been published from a wire agency with minimal modifications to the headline and text.