Medicine of the Ancient Near East and Egypt Through Artifacts

Abstract

The exhibit “Myth, Magic, and Medicine: A Journey to the Ancient World” was publicly displayed at the Clendening History of Medicine Museum at the University of Kansas Medical Center from June to September of 2012. The exhibit included artifacts from ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, and Rome, however, the following catalog will focus on one portion of the exhibit, which centered on the Near East and Egypt. This catalog aims to use a small selection of the artifacts from the "Myth, Magic, and Medicine: A Journey to the Ancient World” exhibit to explore this important combination of magic, religion, and medicine to varying degrees in ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian medicine so that historians can better understand the roots of modern medical traditions still seen today. By tracing the roots of this combination, historians can see a continuation into the present day and identify certain changes—such as the introduction of Christianity and monotheism—that affected the way religion and magic are incorporated into modern medical practice.