Fridays – Medicine in Ancient Egypt

11/7 & 11/14 @ 11:00 AM/CH

Instructor: Stephen “Dr. Steve” Phillips, Ph.D.

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 workshop introduces ancient Egypt’s medical   world. We meet history’s earliest documented physician, Imhotep, the earliest documented dentist, Hesy-re, and the earliest female physician, Peseshet. We explore the role of   folklore and herbs in ancient Egyptian medicine, and we examine a more than 3,000-year-old papyrus that outlines step-by-step instructions to the physician for treating traumatic wounds.