Category Archives: EGYPT

Ancient Mastaba Tomb of Royal Physician “Magician of the Goddess Selket” discovered in Sakkara

Ancient Mastaba Tomb of Royal Physician “Magician of the Goddess Selket” discovered in Sakkara

Ancient Mastaba Tomb of Royal Physician “Magician of the Goddess Selket” discovered in Sakkara

In the southern region of the Saqqara archaeological site, a joint French-Swiss archaeological team made an important discovery uncovering the mastaba tomb of the royal physician Teti Neb Fu from the Old Kingdom, according to a statement by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

This tomb, unearthed in the southern region of the archaeological site of Saqqara, known to contain the tombs of high-ranking officials from the Egyptian Old Kingdom, shows that medicine and magic were once equally revered, and expertise in both earned a long-dead physician to the pharaohs a place of honor among the ancient world’s most esteemed.

Dating back over 4,000 years to the reign of King Pepi II, this important find features exquisite carvings and vibrant artwork, including a painted false door and elaborate scenes depicting funeral offerings.

The sarcophagus found inside the tomb was also inscribed with the name of its occupant and his titles, according to the post. Because of the burial location in Saqqara, researchers knew he was important, but Teti Neb Fu’s official titles named him as the chief palace physician.

Teti Neb Fu, who held prestigious titles such as Chief Palace Physician, Chief Dentist, and Director of Medicinal Plants, also had a unique role as a “Magician” of the Goddess Serket, specializing in the treatment of venomous bites.

Credit: Official Facebook page of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

Additionally, he was known as the “Great Physician of Teeth” and “Director of Medicinal Plants”, suggesting that he led research and practical applications in the fields of dentistry and the use of therapeutic herbs.

Even though it may have been looted in the past, the mastaba still has many of its ornamental features.

The director of the archaeological mission, Dr. Philippe Collombert, said the walls are decorated with remarkable reliefs and inscriptions, including a complex frieze that displays the owner’s name and titles.

Among the most remarkable elements is the red-painted ceiling, which is intended to resemble granite blocks, a material commonly found in imposing buildings.

The titles and name of the doctor are also written in the middle of the ceiling. An additional noteworthy discovery within the mastaba is a stone sarcophagus, which has hieroglyphic decorations inside that offer more information about Teti Neb Fu and his accomplishments.

Inscriptions on the sarcophagus and art in the tomb showed the person buried there was once a powerful physician to the king. Credit: Official Facebook page of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

Mohamed Ismail Khaled, secretary-general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, emphasized the importance of this discovery, stating that the texts and drawings on the tomb’s walls unveil new insights into the daily life of the Old Kingdom.

This discovery strengthens Saqqara’s position as one of Egypt’s most important historical sites and contributes to its rich archaeological legacy.

Excavations in this area of Saqarra began in 2022, to unearth the graves of state employees for King Pepi who are buried near him and his wives, officials said.

Golden Tongues and Nails discovered on mummies from the Ptolemaic Period in Egypt

Golden Tongues and Nails discovered on mummies from the Ptolemaic Period in Egypt

Archaeologists have uncovered tombs decorated with colorful inscriptions and ritual scenes, as well as unusual mummies and unique funerary objects, including 13 striking golden tongues and nails, at the Al-Bahnasa archaeological site in Egypt’s Minya governorate.

The Oxyrhynchus Archaeological Mission, led by the Institute of Ancient Near East Studies of the University of Barcelona (IPOA), under the direction of Ignasi-Xavier Adiego, has concluded its latest campaign with unique remains, which allow us to deepen our knowledge of funerary practices, religious life and monastic activity in Ancient Egypt.

Among the notable firsts, these are the first human remains and the first texts and ritual scenes of goddesses of their kind in the Al-Bahansa region. These artifacts, along with elaborate burial customs, provide valuable insights into Ptolemaic religious beliefs.

Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, described the findings as “a major addition to the history of the region,” emphasizing their uniqueness to the Al-Bahnasa area.

Excavations at the discovery site.

Among the most remarkable discoveries are 52 Ptolemaic period mummies, 13 of which had golden tongues in their mouths, symbolizing preparation for the afterlife. One mummy had two golden tongues, and another’s fingernails were adorned with a gold plate.

Recovered from the same location were valuable items like a terracotta of the god Harpocrates, amulets featuring Egyptian deities like Thoth, Isis, and Horus, and a heart scarab in its original position.

Excavations also revealed the structure of a Ptolemaic-era tomb containing some 300 mummies. This tomb, with three burial chambers and a vaulted ceiling, is remarkable for its walls decorated with texts and polychrome scenes depicting funerary rituals and divine figures such as Anubis, Osiris, Atum, and Nut.

Some of these amulets combined the symbolism of multiple deities, an unusual finding in the region. In addition, four limestone sarcophagi have been discovered in the same context.

Dr. Esther Pons Mellado, the Spanish mission leader, explained that one of the discovered tombs includes a rectangular well leading to a main room with three funerary chambers.

One of the panels with decoration found, the boat of Ra.

According to Dr. Esther Pons Mellado, the Spanish mission leader, these chambers contained dozens of mummies, arranged meticulously, suggesting communal burial practices.

Another burial shaft led to similarly decorated chambers, one of which belonged to an individual identified as “Wen Nefer.” On one of its walls, the tomb owner is depicted with his family offering offerings to deities such as Anubis, Osiris, Atum, and Horus.

The ceiling is decorated with the goddess Nut, surrounded by stars and sacred boats carrying deities like Khepri, Ra, and Atum, against a bright blue background.

Set of amulets and gold scarabs.

The presence of a thin layer of gold on the face of a mummy, depicted as if embalmed by the god Anubis, demonstrates the delicate nature of the funerary work.

Figures of the goddesses Isis and Nephthys have the same golden finish. The tomb also housed four limestone sarcophagi.

The mission also noted that earlier excavations had already found a Byzantine basilica, a temple devoted to Osiris, and tombs from the Saite, Greco-Roman, and Roman periods.

Golden Tongues and Nails discovered on mummies from the Ptolemaic Period in Egypt

Golden Tongues and Nails discovered on mummies from the Ptolemaic Period in Egypt

Archaeologists have uncovered tombs decorated with colorful inscriptions and ritual scenes, as well as unusual mummies and unique funerary objects, including 13 striking golden tongues and nails, at the Al-Bahnasa archaeological site in Egypt’s Minya governorate.

The Oxyrhynchus Archaeological Mission, led by the Institute of Ancient Near East Studies of the University of Barcelona (IPOA), under the direction of Ignasi-Xavier Adiego, has concluded its latest campaign with unique remains, which allow us to deepen our knowledge of funerary practices, religious life and monastic activity in Ancient Egypt.

Among the notable firsts, these are the first human remains and the first texts and ritual scenes of goddesses of their kind in the Al-Bahansa region. These artifacts, along with elaborate burial customs, provide valuable insights into Ptolemaic religious beliefs.

Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, described the findings as “a major addition to the history of the region,” emphasizing their uniqueness to the Al-Bahnasa area.

Excavations at the discovery site.

Among the most remarkable discoveries are 52 Ptolemaic period mummies, 13 of which had golden tongues in their mouths, symbolizing preparation for the afterlife. One mummy had two golden tongues, and another’s fingernails were adorned with a gold plate.

Recovered from the same location were valuable items like a terracotta of the god Harpocrates, amulets featuring Egyptian deities like Thoth, Isis, and Horus, and a heart scarab in its original position.

Excavations also revealed the structure of a Ptolemaic-era tomb containing some 300 mummies. This tomb, with three burial chambers and a vaulted ceiling, is remarkable for its walls decorated with texts and polychrome scenes depicting funerary rituals and divine figures such as Anubis, Osiris, Atum, and Nut.

Some of these amulets combined the symbolism of multiple deities, an unusual finding in the region. In addition, four limestone sarcophagi have been discovered in the same context.

Dr. Esther Pons Mellado, the Spanish mission leader, explained that one of the discovered tombs includes a rectangular well leading to a main room with three funerary chambers.

One of the panels with decoration found, the boat of Ra.

According to Dr. Esther Pons Mellado, the Spanish mission leader, these chambers contained dozens of mummies, arranged meticulously, suggesting communal burial practices.

Another burial shaft led to similarly decorated chambers, one of which belonged to an individual identified as “Wen Nefer.” On one of its walls, the tomb owner is depicted with his family offering offerings to deities such as Anubis, Osiris, Atum, and Horus.

The ceiling is decorated with the goddess Nut, surrounded by stars and sacred boats carrying deities like Khepri, Ra, and Atum, against a bright blue background.

Set of amulets and gold scarabs.

The presence of a thin layer of gold on the face of a mummy, depicted as if embalmed by the god Anubis, demonstrates the delicate nature of the funerary work. Figures of the goddesses Isis and Nephthys have the same golden finish. The tomb also housed four limestone sarcophagi.

The mission also noted that earlier excavations had already found a Byzantine basilica, a temple devoted to Osiris, and tombs from the Saite, Greco-Roman, and Roman periods.

The first and largest astronomical observatory of the 6th century BC discovered in Egypt’s Kafr El-Sheikh

The first and largest astronomical observatory of the 6th century BC discovered in Egypt’s Kafr El-Sheikh

The first and largest astronomical observatory of the 6th century BC discovered in Egypt’s Kafr El-Sheikh

Archaeologists in Egypt unveiled the first and largest astronomical observatory from the 6th century BCE in the Buto Temple at Tell El-Faraeen archaeological site located in Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate.

The discovery was announced on the social media account of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

The observatory, which was made of mud brick, was crucial for monitoring the movements of the sun and stars. This astounding discovery demonstrates the ancient Egyptians’ profound understanding of and proficiency with astronomy.

“It highlights the advanced astronomical knowledge of the ancient Egyptians, including their ability to determine the solar calendar and significant religious and agricultural dates,” said Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA).

The structure also gives an insight into the sophisticated techniques employed by the ancient Egyptians using simple tools, he added.

The place where the first and largest Egyptian astronomical observatory from the sixth century BC was found

The head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Ayman Ashmawy, said that the astronomical observatory building covers approximately 850 square meters.

It consists of an entrance facing east where the sun rises, he added, with a central columned hall open in the shape of the letter “L” preceded by a huge, high wall of mud bricks with an inward slope, resembling the style of the Egyptian edifice known in temple entrances.

Ashmawy said that the mission also found five mud brick rooms likely used to store tools, four small mud brick rooms, and a small stone room representing the observatory tower.

Some of the objects found in the astronomical observatory.

Among the key discoveries is a rare slanted stone sundial, referred to as a shadow clock, of its kind from that era. This sundial is made up of a 4.80-meter-long row of straight limestone slabs. On top were five flat blocks of limestone, two horizontal and three vertical.

These slabs most likely had inclined lines on them that were used to gauge the sun’s shadow and angle, which made it easier to track the sun’s movements throughout the day.

Archaeologists also discovered a stone fixed to the floor of a circular chamber inside the observatory and two additional circular stones used to measure the sun’s inclination.

Some of the objects found in the astronomical observatory.

The work uncovered numerous artifacts, including a statue from the 26th Dynasty, a Merkhet measuring tool, and various religious items and pottery related to daily life and rituals, the ministry said in a statement.

The discovery highlights the value of Egyptian archaeological efforts in revealing new facets of the nation’s rich past and offers deeper insights into the scientific and religious practices of the ancient Egyptians.

Mystery behind Cleopatra’s tomb: Two mummies discovered in Egypt could help solve it

Mystery behind Cleopatra’s tomb: Two mummies discovered in Egypt could help solve it

The mummies of two high-status ancient Egyptians discovered in a temple on the Nile delta may bring researchers a step closer to finding the remains of Cleopatra, the legendary Egyptian queen.

The mummies, which had lain undisturbed for 2,000 years, are in a poor state of preservation because water had seeped into the tomb, according to the Guardian. 

But they were originally covered with gold leaf – a luxury reserved for only the top members of society’s elite – meaning they may have personally interacted with Cleopatra.  

The male and female mummies may have been priests who played a key role in maintaining the power of the legendary Egyptian queen and her lover, Mark Anthony.

Also found at the site were 200 coins bearing Cleopatra’s name and her face, which would have been pressed based on Cleopatra’s direct instructions.  The location of the long-lost tomb of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII from the year 30 BC remains unknown, although it’s somewhere near the Egyptian city of Alexandria.   

But this research team are convinced excavations at the ancient city of Taposiris Magna, which is marked by a temple that still stands today, will soon uncover the ancient couple’s resting place.  Despite the fact researchers have been excavating the site since 2005, only a tiny percentage of the vast site has been explored. 

Mystery behind Cleopatra’s tomb: Two mummies discovered in Egypt could help solve it
The two mummies found inside a sealed tomb at Taposiris Magna, where digs are ungoing to oncover the grave of Cleopatra
The temple is located near Alexandria, the capital of ancient Egypt and where Cleopatra killed herself in 30 BC

The mummies were found in what is the first ever intact tomb to be opened at Taposiris Magna – an event that’s the subject of a Channel 5 documentary to be broadcast this week. 

‘Although now covered in dust from 2,000 years underground, at the time these mummies would have been spectacular,’ Dr Glenn Godenho, a senior lecturer in Egyptology at Liverpool University, told the Guardian. 

‘To be covered in gold leaf shows they would have been important members of society.’ 

One of the mummies was found wearing an image of a scarab, pained in gold leaf, symbolising rebirth. But the 200 coins bearing Cleopatra’s likeness links the pharaoh ruler directly to Taposiris Magna, which was founded in the third century BC. 

The ‘prominent nose and double chin’ of the queen as depicted on the coins suggest she wasn’t as conventionally beautiful as the actresses that portrayed her on screen – most memorably by Elizabeth Taylor in the 1963 film ‘Cleopatra’. 

Dr Godenho said that the tomb of Anthony and Cleopatra is expected to be a ‘way grander affair’ than this mummified couple.

‘Although we don’t know what Ptolemaic rulers’ tombs looked like because none have ever been firmly identified yet, it’s really unlikely that they’d be nondescript and indistinguishable from the burials of their subjects,’ he told MailOnline.

‘Add to that the fact that most consider the tomb of Cleopatra and Mark Antony to be in the vicinity of Alexandria rather than out here at Taposiris Magna, and all the evidence points to these not being royal mummies at all.’ 

Archaeologists searching for the tomb of Anthony and Cleopatra (pictured played by Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in the 1963 film) have zeroed in on a site in northern Egypt

Dr Kathleen Martinez, an academic from the Dominican Republic, is leading the dig at the Taposiris Magna temple. After working there for over 14 years, Dr Martinez and her colleagues are more convinced than ever Cleopatra’s tomb will be found there. 

Dr Martinez is seen reacting to the opening of the newly-found mummies at Taposiris Magna in the Channel 5 documentary, which will broadcast on Thursday.  

After an initial limestone slab is removed, she says: ‘Oh my god, there are two mummies … See this wonder.’ 

Osteoarchaeologist, Dr Linda Chapon, working to conserve the two mummies found inside a sealed tomb at Taposiris Magna
Experts believe Cleopatra made plans for herself and Anthony to be buried at a temple called Taposiris Magna in order to imitate the ancient myth of Isis and Osiris

Cleopatra was Egypt’s last pharaoh and the ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, from 51 BC to 30 BC. Cleopatra and her Roman lover Mark Anthony may have been buried at the site 2,000 years ago because of her desire to imitate an ancient prophecy, Dr Martinez believes. 

During her life, which ran from 69 BC to 30 BC, Cleopatra was known both as a seductress and as a captivating personality. She famously used her charms to first seduce Julius Caesar to cement Egypt’s alliance with Rome, and then to seduce one of his successors, Mark Anthony.            

In order to fix herself and Anthony as rulers in the minds of the Egyptian people, she also worked hard to associate them with the myth of Isis and Osiris. According to the myth, Osiris was killed and hacked into pieces that were scattered across Egypt.  After finding all of the pieces and making her husband whole again, Isis was able to resurrect him for a time.

Dr Glenn Godenho and Dr Kathleen Martinez inside Taposiris Magna temple near Alexandria in Egypt
Kathleen Martinez, who is leading the dig, believes the site was strongly associated with the myth of Isis and Osiris – a myth that Cleopatra often tried to imitate during her life

Martinez believes Taposiris Magna was closely associated with the myth as the name means ‘tomb of Osiris’.

The inclusion of ‘Osiris’ could mean it was one of the places where his body was scattered in the story.  After Mark Anthony killed himself following defeat to Octavian but before her own suicide, Cleopatra put detailed plans in place for them both to be buried there, in echoes of the myth, Dr Martinez thinks. 

The temple at Taposiris Magna. The opening of the first-ever intact tomb found at Taposiris Magna will be shown on Channel 5 this week
The inside of Taposiris Magna temple, where excavation work is taking place. The temple was established between 280 and 270 BC

She previously told National Geographic: ‘Cleopatra negotiated with Octavian to allow her to bury Mark Antony in Egypt. 

‘She wanted to be buried with him because she wanted to reenact the legend of Isis and Osiris. 

‘The true meaning of the cult of Osiris is that it grants immortality. After their deaths, the gods would allow Cleopatra to live with Antony in another form of existence, so they would have eternal life together.’ 

Doubts have been cast on the theory, however, as other experts believe Cleopatra was hastily buried in Alexandria itself – the city from where she ruled Egypt until her death, believed to have been caused by snake venom. 

Polish archaeologists find graves of monkeys and calves in ancient animal cemetery in Egypt

Polish archaeologists find graves of monkeys and calves in ancient animal cemetery in Egypt

Polish archaeologists have discovered over 200 graves of monkeys, dogs and cats in an animal cemetery from the 1st and 2nd centuries in Berenike, Egypt. They also found burials of calves, which – they assume – were sacrificed at the animal cemetery or a nearby religious building.

An international team led by Dr. Marta Osypińska from the Institute of Archaeology at the University of Wrocław in a consortium with the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, University of Warsaw, returned to the unique animal cemetery from the 1st and 2nd centuries in Berenike.

Berenike on the Red Sea is an ancient port built by Emperor Tiberius shortly after the annexation of Egypt by the Roman Empire. For the Empire, it was an intercontinental ‘hub’ through which exclusive goods flowed from India, Asia, Arabia and East Africa.

Archaeologists have long suspected that the Third ‘Cyrenean’ Legion was also stationed in Berenike. The legion was famous for pacifying the uprising in Jerusalem in 70 CE.

The pet cemetery explored by Osypińska’s team was built at a time when representatives of the Roman elites appeared in the port, in the early 1st century CE. Family pets, including cats; dogs and monkeys were buried there. Before the last season, archaeologists had recorded over 500 animal graves in the area, including several graves of monkeys.

Last season, the team started research in a new location. Already on the first day it turned out that such an accumulation of animal burials had never been recorded anywhere before.

‘Over the course of two months, in a 5 by 5 meter trench, we recorded over 200 of them. Interestingly, monkeys, very rare elsewhere, were very numerous in this location’, says Dr. Osypińska.

The fact that their status was special and they were treated almost like people is evidenced by a different way of burying than in the case of dogs and cats. Each of these monkey graves is also a little different. ‘They were placed as if they were sleeping on their sides, with their paws next to their faces, wrapped in fabrics, covered with blankets’, Osypińska says.

Among animal graves, only monkey burials contain additional items. They are most often playthings: opalescent shells, rags, a cow’s tail, but also collars or harnesses.

Monkeys were quite often buried with their pets. In one of the graves from earlier seasons, researchers found a piglet, and very often the monkeys were accompanied by very young cats. In one case, the bodies of a vervet and a kitten were positioned to embrace each other. ‘There are many videos on the Internet showing that, for example, young rhesus monkeys love small cats. They play with them like with children’, Osypińska says.

She explains that in the 1st and 2nd centuries, Berenike was ‘the absolute edge of the world’. Centurions, i.e. officers and commanders of Roman legions, came there for six months, when ships with goods arrived.

‘They probably could not bring their families with them. I think that Roman matrons and children would not be able to live in this climate, it is a pure desert, without drinking water, nothing grew and still does not grow there. Monkeys, because they were so human-like, had a soothing effect and were a substitute for family. There must have been animals with which people established emotional relationships, which our findings confirm’, Osypińska says.

On the last day of this year’s excavations, archaeologists reached the bottoms of two huge pits. They found the burials of two calves. Both were buried with their heads smeared with a thick layer of ocher. The older calf had its head additionally covered with a large fragment of an amphora.

The researchers believe that they were the first ‘residents’ of the animal cemetery. They could have been sacrificial calves for the animal cemetery or a sacred object in the immediate vicinity.

This year’s research at the Berenike cemetery is a continuation of previous excavations. The discovery of monkeys and the identification of two species of macaques among them – the rhesus macaque and the bonnet macaque – was a sensation for archaeologists in 2020. Both live on the Indian subcontinent. Until then, scientists had not suspected that the Romans imported live animals across the ocean. The logistical challenge of such an undertaking seems impressive even today.

‘It was a shock for archaeologists. Previously, there had been reasons to believe that contacts were maintained with India, e.g. pepper was found. However, there was no clear evidence of this. Initially, the head of our Polish-American mission, Professor Steven Sidebotham of Delaware University was sceptical that the monkeys we discovered could have come from India. That was until his team found the second part of a certain sculpture in 2023. Four years ago they found its lower part and everyone thought it was Zeus. Last year, a few meters away from the original find, they discovered the head of Buddha. Later, kitchenware from India was also identified. The pieces of this puzzle began to fit together’, says Osypińska.

Her project ‘Non-humans in Berenike society’ is financed by the Polish National Science Centre. The Polish-American mission in Berenike is led by Dr. Mariusz Gwiazda from the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, University of Warsaw and Professor Steven Sidebotham from the University of Delaware in the USA. (PAP)

Ancient Egyptian attempts to treat cancer seen in nearly 5,000-year-old skull

Ancient Egyptian attempts to treat cancer seen in nearly 5,000-year-old skull

Ancient Egyptian attempts to treat cancer seen in nearly 5,000-year-old skull
Skull E270. Credit: Tondini, Isidro, Camarós, 2024.

Archaeologists have unearthed evidence of ancient practices which might change our understanding of ancient Egyptian life.

Two skulls, both thousands of years old, bear cut marks which could be indications of attempted operations to treat cancer,  or perhaps even to conduct postmortems to learn more about excessive tissue growth.

It is known that as an early civilisation, the ancient Egyptians were skilled in medical practices. Historical records note that they could identify, describe and treat diseases and traumatic injuries. They even build prostheses and inserted dental fillings.

The new study, published in Frontiers in Medicine, suggests they may have even tried to treat cancers.

Two skulls were examined as part of the research.

Skull and mandible 236. Credit: Tondini, Isidro, Camarós, 2024.

Skull and mandible 236 belonged to a male who died at age 30–35. The bones were found at Giza and are dated to between 2687 and 2345 BCE, during Egypt’s Old Kingdom – around the time that the Pharaoh Khufu ordered the building of the largest of the pyramids of Giza.

Skull E270 belonged to a female who was more than 50 years old when she died between 663 and 343 BCE, known as the Late Period of ancient Egypt sometime between the 26th and 30th dynasties.

Micro-CT scans of skull 236 showed a large lesion consistent with excessive tissue destruction, also known as neoplasm. In addition, the researchers found about 30 small, round metastasised lesions on the skull.

A series of cut marks around the lesions took the archaeologists by surprise.

“It seems ancient Egyptians performed some kind of surgical intervention related to the presence of cancerous cells, proving that ancient Egyptian medicine was also conducting experimental treatments or medical explorations in relation to cancer,” says co-author Albert Isidro from the University Hospital Sagrat Cor in Spain.

Similar lesions were found on skull E270 consistent with a cancerous tumour that led to bone destruction.

E270 also showed 2 healed traumatic injuries. It is possible the individual received treatment for the injuries.

“Was this female individual involved in any kind of warfare activities?” asks first author Tatiana Tondini from the University of Tübingen in Germany. “If so, we must rethink the role of women in the past and how they took active part in conflicts during antiquity.”

The finds suggest that cancer is not just a problem today with increased environmental factors and an older population.

“We wanted to learn about the role of cancer in the past, how prevalent this disease was in antiquity, and how ancient societies interacted with this pathology,” Tondini says. “We see that although ancient Egyptians were able to deal with complex cranial fractures, cancer was still a medical knowledge frontier.”

Cut marks around a lesion on skull 236. Credit: Tondini, Isidro, Camarós, 2024.

And it wasn’t just the ancient Egyptians. Ancient Roman physician Celsus, who died in 50 CE, wrote about the disease’s return after being cut out. Ancient Greek doctors Galen and Hippocrates considered it incurable.

Lead author Edgard Camarós, from Spain’s University of Santiago de Compostela, says more research is needed to uncover ancient medical practices.

“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.”

Today, cancer remains the second leading cause of death in the world, hence the scientific community’s focus on finding effective treatments and potential cures.

4,500-year-old rare Canaanite goddess sculpture found by a farmer in Gaza Strip

4,500-year-old rare Canaanite goddess sculpture found by a farmer in Gaza Strip

4,500-year-old rare Canaanite goddess sculpture found by a farmer in Gaza Strip
The statue of Anat is now on display in one of the Gaza Strip’s few museums

A stone statue of an ancient goddess of beauty, love and war has been found in the Gaza Strip. Palestinian archaeologists say that the head of the Canaanite deity, Anat, dates back 4,500 years to the late Bronze Age.

The discovery was made by a farmer digging his land in Khan Younis, in the south of the strip. On social media, some Gazans are making wry comments suggesting the goddess’s association with war seems apt.

In recent years, they have seen a series of devastating flare-ups in the conflict between Israel and militant groups in Gaza, which is governed by Hamas.

However, the discovery of this limestone statue is a reminder of how the strip – part of an important trade route for successive ancient civilisations – was originally a Canaanite settlement.

The 22cm-high (8.7 in) carving clearly shows the face of the goddess wearing a serpent crown.

“We found it by chance. It was muddy and we washed it with water,” said farmer Nidal Abu Eid, who came across the head while cultivating his field.

“We realised that it was a precious thing, but we didn’t know it was of such great archaeological value,” he told the BBC.

“We thank God, and we are proud that it stayed in our land, in Palestine, since the Canaanite times.”

The statue of Anat – one of the best-known Canaanite deities – is now on display in Qasr al-Basha, a historic building that serves as one of Gaza’s few museums.

Gaza, which was on important trade routes for ancient civilisations, is home to numerous ancient treasures

Unveiling the artefact at a press conference on Tuesday, Jamal Abu Rida of the Hamas-run Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said the statue was “resistant against time” and had been carefully examined by experts.

He said that it made a political point.

“Such discoveries prove that Palestine has civilisation and history, and no-one can deny or falsify this history,” he said. “This is the Palestinian people and their ancient Canaanite civilisation.”

Not all archaeological finds in Gaza have been so highly appreciated or fared so well.

Hamas – an Islamist, militant organisation – has previously been accused of destroying the remains of a large, fortified Canaanite town, Tell al-Sakan, to make way for housing and military bases south of highly populated Gaza City.

An ancient man-sized bronze of the Greek god Apollo was discovered by a fisherman in 2013, but later disappeared mysteriously.

However, this year Hamas reopened the remains of a 5th Century Byzantine church after foreign donors helped pay for a years-long restoration project.

Work also stopped at a building site in northern Gaza when 31 Roman-era tombs were found there.

While such ancient sites could potentially be a draw for foreign visitors, it has virtually no tourism industry.

Israel and Egypt tightly restrict the flow of people in and out of the impoverished coastal enclave, which is home to some 2.3 million Palestinians, citing security concerns.