4,000-Year-Old Skulls Hold Evidence of Ancient Egyptian Cancer Remedies

Paleopathologists at the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain have examined 4,000-year-old skulls which they say hold information about ancient Egyptian cancer treatments. The astonishing report was published in the journal Frontiers in Medicine.

Lead author Edgard Camarós and his team examined two separate human skulls housed at the University of Cambridge. The first skull belonged to a man between the ages of 30 and 35 who died between 2,687 and 2,345 B.C. The second was that of an elder woman, above age 50, which dates back to between 663 and 343 B.C.

The skull of a younger male, who appeared to have a tumor located on the top right side of his cranium.

‘Frontiers in Medicine’

Camarós found that the male had what appeared to be a tumor on his skull. There were also about 30 separate lesions, which it appeared someone had used a curved tool to try and excise.

The male’s skull was found to be infected with a tumor and roughly 30 lesions, which someone had seemingly tried to remove with a curved object.

‘Frontiers in Medicine’

“When we first observed the cut marks under the microscope, we could not believe what was in front of us,” Tatiana Tondini, a researcher at the University of Tübingen in Germany, told The New York Post.

The female skull also showed bone destruction from a cancerous tumor, in addition to two lesions. However, researchers believe that her lesions were caused by a violent injury from an edged weapon.

The skull of an older woman, which showed bone decay from a cancerous tumor and two lesions from injuries resulting from an edged weapon. “Was this female individual involved in any kind of warfare activities?” German researcher Tatiana Tondini queried. “If so, we must rethink the role of women in the past and how they took active part in conflicts during antiquity.”

‘Frontiers in Medicine’

“This is an extraordinary new perspective in our understanding of the history of medicine,” Camarós enthused to NYP.

However, Camarós and the rest of his team are exercising caution in their excitement. Since they possess only the skulls and lack proper medical histories for the deceased, it’s unlikely that much more will be known about their fates. But the discovery still presents a great deal of promise in terms of understanding the global evolution of cancer and its treatments.

“This study contributes to a changing of perspective and sets an encouraging base for future research on the field of paleo-oncology, but more studies will be needed to untangle how ancient societies dealt with cancer,” Camarós reflected.