Tales From the Dead

Mitchell looked at more than a century’s worth of research on mummies from Egypt and Nubia, the region to Egypt’s south. He found a surprising mix of infections created by a variety of habitats like dry deserts and Nile River wetlands.

In one study, more than half the mummies had schistosomiasis, a disease caused by a parasitic worm carried by freshwater snails. Malaria was also common. It’s transmitted by mosquitoes, which breed in water. In fact, King Tutankhamen’s mummy had two different malaria strains! While many forms of this dangerous disease are now treatable, they would have had a huge negative impact on ancient Egyptian lifespans, as they still do today for people without access to medicine to treat the disease.

Even a single infection could be revealing. One mummy had Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite spread by cats. That makes sense, as ancient Egyptians worshiped cats!

There are still many conditions, like cancer, that are hard to study in mummies. But newer technologies that allow us to analyze genes and even proteins within the mummified remains are transforming our ability to probe the past. “That will open up so many doors,” says Mitchell.

Mitchell studied mummies from Egypt and Nubia, the region south of Egypt. He found evidence of many different types of parasites. Some meant that the people who carried them lived in dry deserts. Others came from wetlands.

In one group of mummies, more than half had schistosomiasis. That’s a disease caused by a parasitic worm. People get infected when they come into contact with freshwater snails. So those mummies must have lived near water before they died!

Malaria was also common in mummies. This disease is passed to people by mosquitoes. King Tutankhamen’s mummy is the most famous in the world. It had two different types of malaria! Luckily, many forms of this dangerous disease are now treatable. But it would have shortened the lives of ancient Egyptians. It still has this effect today in places where treatment isn’t available.

Even individual infections can be interesting, says Mitchell. For example, one mummy had Toxoplasma gondii. That’s a parasite spread by cats. That makes sense, because ancient Egyptians worshiped cats!

There are still many health conditions that are hard to study in mummies. Cancer is one example. But newer technologies could change that. Scientists can now analyze genetic material and even tiny proteins that diseases leave behind. “That will open up so many doors,” says Mitchell.