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Thanks decimon. |
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Posted on 08/19/2011 7:24:33 AM PDT by decimon
Bonn scientists shed light on the dark secret of Queen Hatshepsut's flacon
The corpus delicti is a plain flacon from among the possessions of Pharaoh Hatshepsut, who lived around 1450 B.C., which is on exhibit in the permanent collection of the Egyptian Museum of the University of Bonn. For three and a half millennia, the vessel may have held a deadly secret. This is what the Head of the collection, Michael Höveler-Müller and Dr. Helmut Wiedenfeld from the university's Pharmacology Institute just discovered. After two years of research it is now clear that the flacon did not hold a perfume; instead, it was a kind of skin care lotion or even medication for a monarch suffering from eczema. In addition, the pharmacologists found a strongly carcinogenic substance. Was Hatshepsut killed by her medicine?
When Michael Höveler-Müller became the curator of the Egyptian Museum of the University of Bonn in 2009, it occurred to him to examine the interior of the vessel that, according to an inscription, belonged to Pharaoh Hatshepsut. Its neck had been blocked with what was generally considered "dirt," but Höveler-Müller suspected that it might also be the original clay stopper. So possibly, some of the original contents might still be inside. In Dr. Helmut Wiedenfeld from the Pharmacy Institute, he found just the right partner, to get to the bottom of this question and of the flacon.
At the Radiology Clinic of the Bonn Universitätsklinikum, the flacon was subjected to a CAT scan. Here, the Egyptologist's suspicion was confirmed – not only was the closure intact, but the vessel also held residue of a dried-up liquid. In the summer of 2009, Professor Dr. Friedrich Bootz from the Klinik und Poliklinik für Hals-, Nasen- und Ohrenheilkunde (laryngology, rhinology and otology) of the University of Bonn took samples, using an endoscope.
Too greasy for perfume
This allowed Dr. Wiedenfeld and his team to analyze the old substances for their ingredients. And it became obvious very quickly that what they had found was not dried-up perfume. The mix contained large amounts of palm oil and nutmeg apple oil. "I didn't think anybody would put so much grease on her face," said Dr. Wiedenfeld. "That would make her look as greasy as a plate of ribs." Two additional components clued the pharmacologist in to the actual purpose of the mix, "We found a lot of unsaturated fatty acids that provide relief for people with skin diseases." And this is where the Egyptologist was able to add another piece of the puzzle, "It is indeed known that there were cases of skin disease in Hatshepsut's family." Inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis have a largely genetic component.
And the third group of ingredients also points to the fact that this substance was not about providing a nice fragrance, but instead, for fighting a big itch – the pharmacologists found a lot of hydrocarbons derived from creosote and asphalt. To this day, creams containing creosote are used to treat chronic skin diseases. Due to the potentially carcinogenic effects of some of its ingredients, creosote has meanwhile been banned from cosmetics completely, and medications containing creosote are now prescription-only.
What the pharmacologists detected in Hatshepsut's little bottle was in particular benzo(a)pyrene, a hazardous aromatic hydrocarbon consisting of several carbon rings. "Benzo(a)pyrene is one of the most dangerous carcinogenic substances we know," explained Dr. Wiedenfeld. For example, the risk of contracting lung cancer from cigarette smoke results essentially from this substance.
Did the lotion cause the Pharaoh's death from cancer?
Did Hatshepsut maybe poison herself without knowing it? "There is a lot that speaks for this hypothesis," Dr. Wiedenfeld said. "If you imagine that the Queen had a chronic skin disease and that she found short-term improvement from the salve, she may have exposed herself to a great risk over the years." The Egyptologist also thinks that this is very likely. "We have known for a long time that Hatshepsut had cancer and maybe even died from it," said Michael Höveler-Müller. "We may now know the actual cause."
But at this point, the Bonn scientists can only surmise how Hatshepsut obtained her lotion. "Egyptian physicians were general practitioners and good surgeons, but they were lousy internists," explained Dr. Wiedenfeld. "It is quite possible that they owe their knowledge of certain medications to their contacts with Persia and India where the healing arts were very advanced even in Antiquity."
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For photos regarding this press release, please go to: http://www3.uni-bonn.de/Pressemitteilungen/236-2011
Contact:
Michael Höveler-Müller Ägyptisches Museum der Universität Bonn Tel.: 0228/73-9710 aegyptisches-museum@uni-bonn.de
Dr. Helmut Wiedenfeld Pharmazeutisches Institut der Universität Bonn (abroad starting on 22 August) Email: wiedenfeld@uni-bonn.de
Message in a bottle ping.
The interesting thing about coal tar and psoriasis is that people with psoriasis are missing and enzyme in their skin that makes the coal tar carninogenic.
Paging John Edwards!
There is a fortune to be made here in a malpractice suit.
Post #5
I am post #6. Who is post #1?
Do they know this from an autopsy of her mummy?
You are silly man.
Are you saying that the the fact that they are missing the enzyme makes coal tar carcinogenic to them, or that it the enzyme itself that makes coal tar carcinogenic?
It is an enzyme that makes the coal tar a carcinogen. Polycyclic aromatic hydratase or something similar to that, PAH for short. Coal tar treatment for people with psoriasis does not appear to increase their risk of skin cancer.
I’ll have to look it up and refresh my memory later.
Ok that does not look right at all.
“Who is post #1?”
You are, silly man.
Interesting. Thanks for the clarification.
So, on one hand these folks are saying that she possibly had psoriasis and took creosote to relieve the itching, and then conclude that it was the creosote that gave her cancer.
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| GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach | |
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Thanks decimon. |
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That had to make her as attractive as a railroad tie.
Little known is that 'Cleopatra' means 'Creosote.'
Had to make eunuchation really attractive. I mean the horror of “You there, slave”...
I will be teaching 6th grade social studies(ancient history)this year.
The section on ancient egypt, has her highlighted.
I really was amazed at the textbook, Glencoe WorldHistory,Journey Across Time, and any folks homeschooling might want to check it out as a text.
Ancient Egypt
The Ancient Israelites
The Ancient Greeks
Greek Civilization
Early India
Early China
TheRise of Rome
Roman Civilization
The Rise of Christianity
Islamic Civilization
Medival Europe
The Americas
The Renaissance and Reformation
Enlightenment andRevolution
She was pretty, as inbred royalty goes, and had the gumption to mate outside her immediate family, which was good. Her daughter appeared from nowhere (since H was not married except in form to her step-son who was also her half-brother) and the father was the architect of her famous mortuary temple. Besides the ancient graffito which rather daringly shows H and her architect buck naked (she’s wearing the crown I think) and doin’ it, he was also given a spot under the temple for his own burial, and besides his booty call and architect duties, he was H’s daughter’s tutor.
There are those who think that the rumor is unsubstantiated, which goes to show how the political seduction of history has made inroads.
The daughter died in her youth, and her tomb (plundered, probably in ancient times) is high up on a cliff wall far off to the west of the KV.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LRpNpE6FLr8/TZc_0kGhNWI/AAAAAAAAAEU/sOlaw3PD5ic/s320/00-hl-utama-hatshepsut.jpg
http://www.metmuseum.org/special/Hatshepsut/pharaoh_more.asp
http://rainbowcrystal.com/atext/egypt12.html
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/Hatshepsut.jpg
http://www.eyelid.co.uk/Hatshepsut.htm
http://wysinger.homestead.com/hatshepsut.html
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