Medicine in Ancient Egypt

Did the ancient Egyptians understand human anatomy and did they practice medicine? The answer is yes. Data derived from archaeological excavations, as well as from several surviving ancient Egyptian papyri, reveal extensive, perhaps effective, medical procedures that are relevant to procedures in use today.

This richly illustrated lecture introduces ancient Egypt’s medical world. We meet history's earliest documented physician, Imhotep, and the earliest documented dentist, Hesy-re. We examine the role of magic and herbs in ancient Egyptian medicine, look at cases outlining specific surgical intervention, and we examine an actual case of what was perhaps successful trauma surgery - as evidenced on human skeletal remains recovered during recent excavations in the cemeteries behind the Great Pyramids and Sphinx at Giza, Egypt.

Presenter: Dr. Stephen R. Phillips is the Curatorial Research Coordinator in the Egyptian Section of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Dr. Phillips received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in physical anthropology and archaeology from the University of Pennsylvania. 

Dr. Phillips has traveled extensively and participated in a wide range of archaeological excavations over the past 25 years, including excavations at Petra, Jordan; near Bordeaux in southwestern France; and, he has particiapted in eight excavation seasons in Egypt - at Giza and Saqqara.

He is the Archaeological Site Supervisor and Physical Anthropologist for the ongoing Cairo University-Brown University Expedition in the Great Western Cemetery at Giza. He is also a professional guide for American tour groups to Egypt. 

Dr. Phillips specializes in the analysis of ancient Egyptian and modern human skeletal remains, mummies and mummification techniques, as well as the tombs and artifacts of the Great Pyramid Complex on Egypt’s Giza plateau.