The 34th Annual Symposium of the Society for the Study of Egyptian Antiquities (SSEA), entitled Ancient Egypt and Nubia: Golden Kingdoms of the Nile, recently took place at the Royal Ontario Museum. The event brought scholars and enthusiasts to three days of talks by some of the world’s foremost Egyptology experts. Centered on the civilizations of Egypt and Nubia—kingdoms situated on the Nile that flourished centuries ago—the talks covered subjects ranging from historical perspectives and religious studies to the most prominent sexually transmitted diseases of the time.
Ancient Egypt was what we currently recognize as the country on the northern end of the Nile. Nubia was a lesser-known kingdom located south of Egypt in modern day Sudan. Both these territories have an intertwined history—at different points, both were part of the same country, due to conquests or powerful trading partners. Ancient Egypt was once one of the great powers of the world, with a kingdom stretching from present-day Sudan to eastern Turkey between 1550 and 1069 B.C. The people of Egypt subsisted off land fertilized by the annual flooding of the Nile, which provided water to quench the arid desert soils alongside silt and other deposits. Nubia grew by trading heavily with Egypt. By 1650 B.C. it was almost equal in power to the ancient Egyptian state to its North.
Egyptology, or the study of the histories and cultures of Egyptian kingdoms and their citizens, is a subject with a wide range of research areas. The talks were held in a small auditorium in the ROM, and though there were very few spectators, those who attended were well-informed fans of ancient Egyptian culture. Some lecturers focused on social and cultural aspects of the ancient civilizations, such as the meaning of temple sculptures in relation to their political affiliations. Others dealt with scientific subject matter, such as excavation methods, or the study of ancient Egyptians based on medical journals of the time and autopsies of mummies.
Ancient Egyptians believed that humans brought their material possessions with them to the afterlife. They stored their personal items in elaborate tombs, and embalmed the dead. These mummies are now readily available in good condition for research. This well-preserved evidence is not easy to come by and is not found in many other cultures, making egyptology one of the areas in which medical research is quite effective.
Dr. Benson Harer’s talk centered on STDs found in Ancient Egypt, conducted chiefl y through examination of literature left behind by physicians of the time and artifacts. His talk uncovered the meaning behind the described affl ictions in these ancient Egyptian doctors’ journals. Harer also explained the purpose behind statues found in Egyptian excavation sites. For example, many statues of women depict them wearing a cowry belt. This belt was worn around the hips and was probably used in an effort to ward off genital herpes. There are also many entries in medical journals of the time listing cures for herpes, indicating this was an infl uential disease.
Harer holds a PhD and an M.D. He initially specialized in obstetrics and gynecology, eventually transferring to egyptology. When asked how he became interested in the subject, Harer explained that his fascination grew when he started visiting a museum in his university years. A 1974 trip to Egypt only served to intensify his already great interest. Currently, Harer’s research focuses on medical studies of ancient Egyptians. His most recent research endeavor involved medical reports and CT scans of King Tut’s embalmed body to determine what killed the famous Egyptian king. Harer hypothesizes that the ruler was kicked in the chest by a horse.
