Science Activities for 9-12
Medicine
The Ancient Egyptians understood a great deal about human anatomy and practiced an organized system of medicine. While they didn't fully understand the complexities of biochemistry, they made remarkable strides in developing cures for ailments.
In some ways, their understanding of how to treat disease was a result of their devotion to the afterlife. Because of their concern for preserving the body—through mummification—for eternal life, they came to know a lot about what existed inside the body. Their post-mortem practices actually helped them learn a great deal about how living systems work.
Today, autopsies are usually conducted when a person dies unexpectedly or through suspicious circumstances. In Ancient Egypt, however, all bodies were prepared for mummification, so the removal of internal organs became a routine post-mortem practice.
If you decide to pursue a career in medicine today, you will spend many years studying living organisms through post-mortem examinations. Perhaps you have already begun this journey by dissecting an earthworm, frog, or fetal pig in your high school science laboratory. As you continue your education, you'll move on to dissections of larger organisms with more complex systems until—in medical school—you will likely encounter a human cadaver. All of this preparation will enable you to help save lives, just as the Ancient Egyptians used what they learned through their post-mortem practices to treat the living.
View the medicine page only of the 9-12 Think Like an Egyptian activity booklet which includes detailed information about Ancient Egyptian medicine, or view the entire booklet. Both documents are PDFs. Challenge your students to create research questions that include testable hypotheses.