Ancient Egypt had cutting-edge medicine for its time, but it still wasn’t enough for people to survive events like snake bites. For this reason they often resorted to magic and spells, which according to a new discovery accompanied some Egyptians even to the grave.
The research was conducted by archaeologists from the Czech Institute of Egyptology (CIE) at Charles University in Prague, who investigated the tomb of a young scribe who died at the age of 25, around 2500 years ago, during the 26th or 27th dynasty of Ancient Egypt. Egypt.Egypt.
The scribe was called Džehutiemhat, and second declaration, his grave was found in the Abusir cemetery, south of Cairo. Its decoration attracts attention, as its walls are covered with images of gods and goddesses.
Spells against snake bites
In addition to the images of the goddesses, on the surfaces of the tomb there are hymns in honor of the Sun and spells and protections to ensure Džehutiemhat a good passage into the world of the dead. But what caught the researchers’ attention is that these texts ask for protection from snakes.
Such a strong emphasis on snake charms was probably a consequence of a personal choice of the tomb owner. No similar cases are known with such excessive attention to these spells.
Miroslav Bárta, director of the CIE, in response to the Science live
Snake bites were much more common in Ancient Egypt than today, due to the wetter climate of the period. However, it seems that the spells placed to protect the scribe did not prevent a serious case of osteoporosis, probably genetic.
These discoveries, from snake charms to scribe osteoporosis, tell researchers a lot about ancient Egypt, providing further insight into the end of the ancient civilization’s glory days. Excavations and analyzes are still ongoing at the site and may reveal even more.
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Source: Olhar Digital
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