Skull from University of Cambridge’s Duckworth Collection shows possible surgical intervention on tumors, suggesting ancient Egyptians’ efforts to tackle cancer.
Scientists have discovered evidence suggesting that Ancient Egyptians attempted to understand and treat cancer over 4,000 years ago. A skull from the University of Cambridge’s Duckworth Collection, belonging to a man who died between 2686 BC and 2345 BC, reveals cut marks around multiple tumors, indicating possible surgical intervention. Researchers from the universities of Tübingen in Germany and Santiago de Compostela in Spain found 30 additional lesions, suggesting the cancer was metastatic. However, it’s unclear if the cuts were made during life as treatment or posthumously for medical study.
Tatiana Tondini from the University of Tübingen and Professor Edgard Camarós from the University of Santiago de Compostela have highlighted that these findings represent an extraordinary ancient attempt to either treat or understand cancer. Another skull in the collection, dating from 664 BC to 343 BC and belonging to a woman over 50, also showed invasive cancer but no surgical attempts. Both discoveries underline that cancer affected ancient civilizations much earlier than typically perceived.
This research, published in “Frontiers in Medicine,” sheds light on the advanced medical practices of ancient Egypt, though cancer remained largely untreatable. The findings illustrate that ancient Egyptians combined herbal remedies with surgical practices, pushing the boundaries of their medical knowledge.