all-about-egypt.com I pounced on two news stories about ancient Egypt this morning. The subject fascinates me and I've included references to ancient Egypt in all my books in the genres of present day fantasy and dystopian adventure. Past, present and future are linked together by a star moonstone ring.
Researchers have discovered the earliest confirmed case of cancer in a young man who lived in ancient Egypt at the Amara West site in northern Sudan. A young English woman with the help of a curator at the British Museum unearthed the remains, which were riddled with holes. The diseased skeleton dates back to around 1,200 BC. This places the disease 2,000 years before the previously confirmed instance.
Cancer is thought of as a modern-day disease, caused by smoking, unhealthy lifestyles, stress and air pollution. However, the discovery suggests the disease was prevalent thousands of years ago.
There have been some previous hints of the disease in archaeological records. Other finds from around 4,000 years back revealed similar signs. But without a full skeleton to show the spread of the disease, experts couldn't confirm cancer caused the damage on the specimens.
At the present, one in five men and one in six women will develop cancer before the age of 75 globally. The sad fact is that one in eight men, and one in twelve women, will die from the disease. Due to our increased lifespan, more and more people will develop cancer as the world's population grows. It looks as if the cause is now in doubt.
Researchers have discovered the earliest confirmed case of cancer in a young man who lived in ancient Egypt at the Amara West site in northern Sudan. A young English woman with the help of a curator at the British Museum unearthed the remains, which were riddled with holes. The diseased skeleton dates back to around 1,200 BC. This places the disease 2,000 years before the previously confirmed instance.
Cancer is thought of as a modern-day disease, caused by smoking, unhealthy lifestyles, stress and air pollution. However, the discovery suggests the disease was prevalent thousands of years ago.
There have been some previous hints of the disease in archaeological records. Other finds from around 4,000 years back revealed similar signs. But without a full skeleton to show the spread of the disease, experts couldn't confirm cancer caused the damage on the specimens.
At the present, one in five men and one in six women will develop cancer before the age of 75 globally. The sad fact is that one in eight men, and one in twelve women, will die from the disease. Due to our increased lifespan, more and more people will develop cancer as the world's population grows. It looks as if the cause is now in doubt.
www.ancient-egypt-book.com In the other news item: the exhibition Ancient Lives: New Discoveries, will open at the British Museum on May 22. Hospital CAT scans on eight mummies reveal that despite the separation of centuries, the Egyptians suffered from the same health issues that plague us today, including high cholesterol, fatty diets and bad toothache.
At the new exhibition, the public will be able to glimpse the most detailed picture yet of our Egyptian forbears. The eight mummies came from all social sectors—royalty to ordinary people living along the Nile.
They also lived during different eras. The oldest shown is more than 5,500 years old and dates back to 3,500 BC, while the most recent lived around 1,300 years ago.
Scans revealed a wide variety of lifestyles and disease. In two of the examples, an excess of cholesterol, calcium and tissue in their leg bones suggests a rich diet high in fat, although it can be genetic. Many experienced poor dental health and had multiple abscesses, which would have led to death if untreated. Analysis of digestive remains suggested the Egyptians enjoyed a wide diet that included fish, a little meat, beer, bread and sugar-rich fruits, such as dates.
At the new exhibition, the public will be able to glimpse the most detailed picture yet of our Egyptian forbears. The eight mummies came from all social sectors—royalty to ordinary people living along the Nile.
They also lived during different eras. The oldest shown is more than 5,500 years old and dates back to 3,500 BC, while the most recent lived around 1,300 years ago.
Scans revealed a wide variety of lifestyles and disease. In two of the examples, an excess of cholesterol, calcium and tissue in their leg bones suggests a rich diet high in fat, although it can be genetic. Many experienced poor dental health and had multiple abscesses, which would have led to death if untreated. Analysis of digestive remains suggested the Egyptians enjoyed a wide diet that included fish, a little meat, beer, bread and sugar-rich fruits, such as dates.
cartonage - www.bbc.co.uk One mummy of a well preserved woman, aged between 20 and 35, had been buried wrapped in a cloth made from linen and wool. Her remains had mummified in the dry heat. Archaeologists could almost make out a tattoo on the inner thigh of her right leg with the naked eye. Infra-red technology helped define it more clearly. The tattoo has been deciphered by curators and spells out in ancient Greek – M-I-X-A-H-A, or Michael. The tattooed woman, who died in about AD 700, lived in a Christian community on the banks of the Nile.
And here's a little excerpt from the beginning of my futuristic novel Long Doom Calling, the forth book in the Higher Ground series co-written with Edith Parzefall.
And here's a little excerpt from the beginning of my futuristic novel Long Doom Calling, the forth book in the Higher Ground series co-written with Edith Parzefall.
When they reached Long Doom, how could they find the ring her mother had seen in a dream vision, a ring meant to help her prevent war raging through Britland? She couldn't imagine why she, a seventeen-year-old healer and storyteller, had been selected to accomplish such an enormous task. The mural in Saint Eyes depicted her wearing a moonstone ring that changed the world around her, leaving no room for doubt.
This one is taken after Cerridwen places the star moonstone ring on her finger for the first time. She's in for a surprise because the ring transports her into a vision.
Cerridwen couldn't see her friends. Somehow, she was flying. Or dreaming.
Frightened, she tried to reach out for reassurance. Nothing. Her senses spun and the ground no longer supported her body.
White fluffy mist, no friends, no Trevly to guide her.
She reached out but didn't touch anything solid. Curious, she looked down then panicked at the void underneath. Calm down. Just a waking dream sent to her from the ring.
Controlling her emotions, she focused through the blur below.
At least fifty men rambled along a wide path. The end of the line stretched around a bend.
Cerridwen dropped closer with no sensation of the movement.
The fellows held weapons across their chests. Knives jutted from their belts. She'd seen them before. Yes. Lord Oxenford's sold yus. Mounted men rode in comfort behind the first stragglers. One man carried his head and shoulders with authority.
Cerridwen suspected who he was, but there could be many other men with power. She hovered and waited. With a sudden plummet, she straddled a horse and masculine hands held leather straps in front of her.
'Reins.' Where did that word come from? 'Boring.' Another word filled her mind, the thoughts of the man who plodded along on the horse beneath her.
"Speed it up," he shouted to the men ahead.
She felt his mouth move as the command came from his lips. She must have become one with him. How strange. Why was she here? In the absence of any logical reason, she decided to hold herself ready to help if possible.
Everyone dies. That's certain. I find it fascinating to learn about past lives. From what's been discovered, maybe it's time to rethink our theory about the cause of cancer.
RSS Feed
