Archaeology
Study reveals disease landscape of Ancient Egypt
A new study, published in the journal Advances in Parasitology, has conducted a meta-analysis of mummies to reveal new insights into the disease landscape of Ancient Egypt.
Egypt’s position in Africa, with the Mediterranean sea to the north, the Red Sea to the East, and the Sahara Desert to the west, means that the River Nile acted as the main conduit for water-born parasites not normally found in arid regions.
Furthermore, as Egypt expanded its borders through war and conquest, and traded with other Bronze Age cultures, this led to further exposure of the population to infectious diseases and parasites from the Mediterranean regions.
Various medical texts written on papyri actually contain descriptions of diseases and their treatments, with some describing worms and blood in the urine that could indicate cases of urogenital schistosomiasis (also known as snail fever). This is a disease caused by parasitic flatworms called schistosomes, and is spread by contact with fresh water contaminated with the parasites.
An adaption of modern techniques can be used in the clinical analysis and detection of such parasites, such as light microscopy for identifying the eggs of intestinal helminths. In the case of Ancient Egyptian mummies, dry samples are rehydrated in trisodium phosphate solutions before they can be visualised.
By applying a meta-analysis approach, the results reveal that 65% of mummies analysed revealed positive results for schistosomiasis, 40% for headlice, 22% for falciparum malaria, and 10% for visceral leishmaniasis.
The study authors suggest that the Nile played a pivotal role in the spread of such diseases, by enabling mosquitos to breed and spread malaria and filariasis. Also, the irrigation of fields using the Nile waters likely put farmers at risk of infection from schistosomiasis.
The study concludes: “The evidence brought together here shows that parasite infection in ancient Egypt and Nubia was quite distinct from that found in many other civilisations of the ancient world. Species spread by ineffective sanitation were rare, possibly due to the role of the annual Nile floods fertilizing the fields so that the population did not need to use their faeces to do so. It was zoonotic parasites that dominated.”
Header Image Credit : Shutterstock
Sources : ScienceDirect – Chapter Two – Parasites in ancient Egypt and Nubia: Malaria, schistosomiasis and the pharaohs. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.apar.2023.12.003
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
A recent study, published in the journal ResearchGate, proposes that the Pyramid of Djoser could have been constructed using hydraulic lift.
The Pyramid of Djoser, also known as the Step Pyramid, is a proto-pyramid built as the final resting place of Djoser, the first or second pharaoh of Egypt’s 3rd Dynasty (2670–2650 BC) during the Old Kingdom period.
The pyramid rises from the Saqqara plateau in six steps to a height of around 60 to 62 metres, serving as the centre of a vast mortuary complex.
Due to the absence of authentic sources from the pyramid architects’ working sphere, there is currently no confirmed comprehensive model for the method used in the pyramid construction.
The prevailing theory suggests that the heavy stone blocks were transported on apparatuses such as rollers, and raised to height using a series of ramps.
In the study, a survey of watersheds near to the pyramid indicate that the Gisr el-Mudir (enclosure) has features of a check dam for trapping sediment and water. Furthermore, the topography beyond the “dam” shows a possible ephemeral lake west of the Djoser complex, and water flow inside the moat surrounding it.
The study authors explain: “In the southern section of the moat, we show that the monumental linear rock-cut structure consisting of successive, deep compartments, combines the technical requirements of a water treatment facility: a settling basin, a retention basin, and a purification system.”
Based on this finding, the study proposes that the Gisr el-Mudir and moat’s inner south section worked as a unified hydraulic system for regulating flow and improving water quality. In addition, the pyramid’s internal architecture is consistent with a hydraulic elevation mechanism never reported before.
“The ancient architects likely raised the stones from the pyramid centre in a volcano fashion using the sediment-free water from the Dry Moat’s south section. Ancient Egyptians are famous for their pioneering and mastery of hydraulics through canals for irrigation purposes and barges to transport huge stones. This work opens a new line of research: the use of hydraulic force to erect the massive structures built by Pharaohs,” said the study authors.
Please note: This study was submitted to PLOS ONE on December 7, 2023. After two rounds of review by peers, the paper was formally accepted by PLOS ONE on June 27, 2024. Since July 23, 2024, it has been the subject of new consultations and review by the PLOS ONE Editorial Board.
Header Image Credit : Shutterstock
Sources : ResearchGate | Piton, Guillaume. (2024). On the possible use of hydraulic force to assist with building the Step Pyramid of Saqqara. PLOS ONE.
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
Constructed between 1630 and 1633 in a Renaissance-Baroque style, the Great Synagogue of Vilnius served as the religious centre of a complex of synagogues, mikvahs, and community institutions devoted to Torah study in Vilnius, Lithuania.
According to a press statement by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA): “The Great Synagogue of Vilna was the beating heart of the Lithuanian Jewry, which included 12 synagogues and study houses, the community council building, the home of Rabbi Eliyahu – the Vilna Gaon, Kosher meat stalls, the famous ‘Strashun’ library, a bathhouse and more.”
During World War II, the synagogue was looted, burned, and partially destroyed by the Nazis in the holocaust. Soviet authorities completely demolished the remaining structure to build a school, intending to prevent any future restoration of Jewish worship.
Only three original pieces of the synagogue survived the destruction: a door of the Holy Ark, a reader’s desk, and a bas-relief with the Ten Commandments, which are now on display at the Vilna Gaon Jewish Museum.
Image Credit : Israel Antiquities Authority
In a recent study conducted by the IAA, the Association of Lithuanian Archaeology, the Good Will Foundation, and the Jewish Community of Lithuania, archaeologists have rediscovered traces of the synagogue’s decorated walls and remnants of flooring with red, black, and white floral patterns that paved the main hall.
Excavations also uncovered huge water reservoirs to feed halachically pure water to the mikva’ot, and one of the giant pillars that surrounded the Bimah (prayer platform).
Dr. Jon Seligman from the IAA and Justinas Rakas from the Lithuanian Archaeological Society, said: “The magnificent remains we are rediscovering bring back moments in the life of a lost vibrant community.”
Header Image Credit : Israel Antiquities Authority
Sources : IAA
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
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