Archaeologists discovered an ovarian tumor, or teratoma, consisting of bone mass along with teeth, on the body of an ancient Egyptian woman who lived more than three thousand years ago. The study was published on: International Journal of Palaeopathology.
Archaeologists have discovered four large cemeteries where residents of Amarna, an ancient Egyptian city located on the banks of the Nile river between Cairo and Luxor, were buried. In one of the graves, the body of a woman, aged between 18 and 21, was found wrapped in a mat made of plant fibers. Scientists from Southern Illinois University (ISU) found a teratoma tumor in the woman’s pelvis, consisting of a mass of bone the size of a large grape and two depressions containing misshapen teeth.
Teratomas are tumors that can be benign or malignant and usually consist of various tissues such as muscle, hair, teeth or bone. They often cause pain and swelling, and if they rupture, they can lead to infection. A ring decorated with the figure of Bes, a god often associated with birth, fertility and protection, was found next to the woman. This may mean that the woman is trying to summon the Demon to protect her from pain or other symptoms or to help her give birth to a child.
The find was the oldest known example of a teratoma and the first in Africa. Archaeologists have previously found teratomas three times in Europe and once in Peru.
Previous scientists to create Skull of a Copper Age woman who survived two trepanations.