Book Series Aegyptologica Pisana, vol. 2

Being Well in Ancient Egypt

Health and Healing as Social Practice

Gabriele Mario Conte, Gianluca Miniaci (eds)

  • Pages: approx. 254 p.
  • Size:178 x 254 mm
  • Illustrations:7 b/w, 27 col., 7 tables b/w.
  • Language(s):English
  • Publication Year:2027


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  • ISBN: 978-2-503-62255-2
  • Hardback
  • Forthcoming (Feb/27)

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  • € 105,00 EXCL. VAT RETAIL PRICE


An exploration of the importance of health and medicine in Egyptian society from different perspectives.

Subject(s)
BIO

Gabriele Mario Conte is post-doctoral Fellow at the Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale and the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, Research Centre in Cairo. His research interests focus on ancient Egyptian magic and medicine.

Gianluca Miniaci is associate professor of Egyptology at the University of Pisa. His research interests focus on social history and the dynamics of material culture between Egypt, the Levant and Nubia in the Middle Bronze Age (2000-1550 BC).

Summary

Health and healing play a fundamental role in safeguarding not only the individual, but also the wider social and economic functions of society. This was as true in Ancient Egypt as it is today, with the same dependence on accessible treatments, available remedies, and medical professionals. This volume explores the presence of health and medicine in Egyptian society from multiple perspectives: the importance of human remains for understanding social dynamics; the diffusion of healing instruments and knowledge within social, urban, and environmental contexts; the social position of the various actors involved in the healing process; and the connections between medical practice and other areas of Egyptian written and material culture. Together, these perspectives offer new insights into the value of social medicine as a research tool for better understanding ancient Egyptian society.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of Illustrations

 Introduction
Gabriele Mario Conte and Gianluca Miniaci

1. Presence and Accessibility of Health Practitioners in Ancient Egypt
Gabriele Mario Conte

2. The Tools of the Physician: Material Traces of the Sham Treatment Strategy (Placebo Effect) in Ancient Egyptian Medicine
Gianluca Miniaci

3. Exploring the Technological Realms Encapsulated in Ancient Egyptian Therapeutic Recipes
Jonny Russell and Tanja Pommerening

4. Accessing Medical Treatment in New Kingdom Egypt
Sofie Schiødt

5. Disability, Health, and Wellbeing in Ancient Egypt
Sonia Zakrzewski

6. What your Skeleton can Reveal about my Life: Exploring the Social Dynamics of Health at Amarna
Gretchen R. Dabbs

7. Public Health in Ancient Egypt and Nubia: A Palaeopathological Perspective
Jenefer Metcalfe

8. Dental Health, Dental Disease, and Dental Care in Ancient Egypt
Roger Forshaw

9. Concluding Remarks: Healthcare Is Not Just Medicine and Illness Is Not Just Disease
Anne Austin

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