Researchers have discovered that anemia was very common among children in ancient Egypt and may have contributed to their deaths.
CT scanning techniques allowed the research team to see through the layers of cloth wrapping the mummy. Photo: Jerusalem Post
A team of paleontologists and medical experts from Germany, the United States, and Italy discovered that anemia was very common in mummified children of ancient Egypt. In a study published in the International Journal of Osteoarcheology, they performed CT scans of numerous Egyptian child mummies to study their skeletons, Ancient Origins reported on May 1st.
The research team focused on children who died before reaching adulthood and were embalmed. Embalming helps preserve the remains of children more intact than burial. However, modern research does not allow for the removal of the layers of cloth used in the embalming process, so scientists have to use advanced machinery to see through and study the bodies inside.
Radiologist Stephanie Panzer and her colleagues performed whole-body CT scans on 21 mummified children aged 1 to 14 from various museums across Europe. They found evidence of pathological enlargement of the cranial vault in seven of the children. This finding is often associated with anemia.
Anemia is a result of malnutrition, leading to a decrease in red blood cells and insufficient oxygen delivery to the brain and other parts of the body. People with anemia also experience other problems such as iron deficiency, gastrointestinal bleeding, and infections due to a weakened immune system. From the CT scan results, the research team could not conclude whether anemia was the cause of death for the children, but it was at least a contributing factor.
Researchers also found a child with thalassemia, a congenital blood disorder in which the body is unable to produce hemoglobin. This child lived for less than a year and was certain to die due to the many symptoms associated with the disease.
An Khang (According to Phys.org )
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