It’s a sunny morning in Memphis, Egypt, and Peseshet is getting ready for her day. She checks her supplies: honey, garlic, cumin, acacia leaves, and cedar oil. These are the important things she needs to help her patients. Peseshet is a swnw, which means she is a doctor. To become a doctor, she had to learn to read and write and study medical texts at a place called the Per Ankh, or the House of Life. Now, she even teaches her own students there!
Before she starts teaching, Peseshet visits a patient. A worker at a temple construction site has hurt his arm badly. When she arrives, she sees that his arm is broken with many bone pieces. Peseshet carefully wraps and supports the arm to keep it still. On her way to the House of Life, a worried mother stops her. The woman’s son has been stung by a scorpion. Peseshet knows just what to do. She says a special spell to get rid of the poison, calling on Serqet, the goddess who protects against venomous creatures. After saying the spell, she tries to remove the poison to make sure the boy is safe.
Before leaving, the mother asks Peseshet if she can tell if she is pregnant. Peseshet explains a special test: plant two seeds, one barley and one emmer, and urinate on them every day. If the seeds grow, it means she is pregnant. If the barley grows, it might be a boy, and if the emmer grows, it might be a girl. Peseshet also suggests saying a prayer to Hathor, the goddess of fertility.
When Peseshet arrives at the House of Life, she meets Isesi, a doctor-priest. She greets him politely, although she thinks priests can sometimes be a bit too proud. Inside, the House of Life is busy with scribes, priests, doctors, and students. There are many papyri, or ancient papers, with all kinds of information, not just about medicine. Peseshet’s son, Akhethetep, is there too, learning to be a scribe by copying documents. He is a good student, but he got the chance to study because Peseshet and her father were scribes. Without family connections, it’s hard for boys and almost impossible for girls to get this education.
Peseshet is in charge of all the female doctors and students in Memphis. The male doctors have their own leader because they won’t take orders from a woman. Today, Peseshet is teaching about anatomy. She asks her students questions about the metu, which are the body’s vessels that carry blood, air, urine, and even bad spirits. As she is about to leave, a pale, thin woman approaches her. The woman has a large, sore lump under her arm. Peseshet examines it and finds it cool and hard. She has read about such conditions but has never seen one before. Unfortunately, there is no treatment or spell for this, and the texts advise doing nothing.
After giving the woman the difficult news, Peseshet steps outside. She stands on the steps of the House of Life, looking at the city as the sun sets. Even though she works hard, there are always some patients she can’t help, like the woman with the lump. These cases stay in her mind, but she knows she must keep going. Soon, the Nile River will flood, bringing new life to the land and new patients to care for.
Imagine you are an ancient Egyptian doctor like Peseshet. Create a medical kit using everyday items to represent honey, garlic, cumin, acacia leaves, and cedar oil. Explain how each item was used in ancient Egyptian medicine and why it was important. Share your kit with the class and discuss how these items compare to modern medicine.
Work in groups to role-play a day in the life of Peseshet. Assign roles such as Peseshet, a patient with a broken arm, a worried mother, and a student at the House of Life. Act out the scenes described in the article, focusing on how Peseshet helps her patients and teaches her students. Reflect on what it was like to be a doctor in ancient Egypt.
Create a scroll that includes information about ancient Egyptian medical practices. Include drawings of the metu and other anatomical features, as well as descriptions of treatments and spells used by doctors like Peseshet. Use hieroglyphs and symbols to make your scroll look authentic. Present your scroll to the class and explain its contents.
Try the ancient Egyptian pregnancy test described by Peseshet. Plant barley and emmer seeds (or similar seeds) and water them daily. Observe and record their growth over time. Discuss the scientific method and how ancient Egyptians used observation in their medical practices. Compare your results with the predictions made by Peseshet’s test.
Write a diary entry from the perspective of Peseshet at the end of her day. Include her thoughts and feelings about the patients she helped, the challenges she faced, and her role as a teacher. Consider how she balances her responsibilities and her emotions. Share your diary entry with the class and discuss what it reveals about life as an ancient Egyptian doctor.
Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
—
It’s another warm morning in Memphis, Egypt. As the sunlight brightens the Nile, Peseshet checks her supplies: honey, garlic, cumin, acacia leaves, and cedar oil. She’s well stocked with the essentials she needs to treat her patients. Peseshet is a swnw, or doctor. In order to become one, she had to train as a scribe and study the medical papyri stored at the Per Ankh, the House of Life. Now, she teaches her own students there.
Before teaching, Peseshet has a patient to see. One of the workers at the temple construction site has injured his arm. When Peseshet arrives, the laborer’s arm is clearly broken, and the fracture is severe, with multiple bone fragments. Peseshet binds and immobilizes the injury. Her next stop is the House of Life. On her way, a woman intercepts Peseshet in the street. The woman’s son has been stung by a scorpion. Peseshet has seen many similar stings and knows exactly what to do. She must say an incantation to cast the poison out. She begins to recite the spell, invoking Serqet, the patron of physicians and goddess of venomous creatures. Peseshet recites the spell with confidence, which has the greatest chance of success. After she finishes, she tries to remove the poison for good measure.
As Peseshet prepares to leave, the woman has another question. She wants to find out if she is pregnant. Peseshet explains her pregnancy test: plant two seeds—one barley and one emmer. Then, urinate on the seeds every day. If the plants grow, she’s pregnant. A barley seedling predicts a baby boy, while emmer foretells a girl. Peseshet also recommends a prayer to Hathor, the goddess of fertility.
When Peseshet finally arrives at the House of Life, she runs into the doctor-priest Isesi. She greets Isesi politely but thinks that priests can be quite self-important. She doesn’t envy Isesi’s role as a guardian of the royal family. Inside, the House of Life is bustling as usual with scribes, priests, doctors, and students. Papyri containing all kinds of records, not just medical information, are stored here. Peseshet’s son Akhethetep is hard at work copying documents as part of his training to become a scribe. He’s a promising student, but he was admitted to study because Peseshet is a scribe, as was her father before her. Without family in the profession, it’s very difficult for boys and nearly impossible for girls to pursue this education.
Peseshet oversees all the female swnws and swnws-in-training in Memphis. The men have their own overseer, as the male doctors won’t answer to a woman. Today, Peseshet teaches anatomy. She quizzes her students on the metu, the body’s vessels that transport blood, air, urine, and even negative spirits. Peseshet is preparing to leave when a pale, thin woman approaches her at the door and begs to be examined. The woman has a large, sore lump under her arm. Peseshet examines the growth and finds it cool to the touch and hard. She has read about ailments like this but has never seen one. For this condition, there is no treatment, medicine, or spell. All the texts give the same advice: do nothing.
After delivering the difficult news, Peseshet goes outside. She lingers on the steps of the House of Life, admiring the city at dusk. Despite all her hard work, there will always be patients she can’t help, like the woman with the lump. They stay with her, but Peseshet has no time to dwell. In a few short weeks, the Nile’s annual flooding will begin, bringing life to the soil for the next year’s harvest and a whole new crop of patients.
—
This version maintains the essence of the original transcript while removing any potentially sensitive or inappropriate content.
Doctor – A person who is trained to treat sick people and help them get better. – In ancient Egypt, a doctor would use herbs and prayers to heal patients.
Patients – People who are receiving medical care or treatment. – The patients in the ancient clinic waited for the doctor to arrive with remedies.
House of Life – An ancient Egyptian institution where knowledge, including medical knowledge, was preserved and taught. – The House of Life was a place where scribes learned about medicine and healing practices.
Anatomy – The study of the structure of living things, especially their bodies. – Ancient Egyptians had a basic understanding of anatomy, which helped them in mummification.
Seeds – The small parts of a plant that can grow into new plants. – Farmers in ancient times carefully selected seeds to plant crops for the next season.
Pregnancy – The condition of having a baby developing in the body. – Ancient texts describe how women in Egypt were cared for during pregnancy.
Goddess – A female deity worshipped in various cultures, often associated with nature or fertility. – Isis was a goddess in ancient Egypt, known for her magical powers and protection of the pharaohs.
Scorpion – A small creature with a stinger on its tail, often found in deserts. – The scorpion was a symbol of protection in ancient Egyptian mythology.
Education – The process of learning and gaining knowledge, often in a school setting. – In ancient Greece, education was important for boys, who learned about philosophy and science.
Memphis – An ancient city in Egypt that was once the capital and a cultural center. – Memphis was known for its grand temples and was a bustling city in ancient times.
