Got feedback on the new design? We're Listening! Send us Feedback

Study shows life was tough for ancient Egyptians »

Posted by: STONERS 5 months, 1 week ago

4 Comments Report this Story

7.4

Scale of 1 to 10

Read: 29

Propped: 71

Comments: 4

Click Prop It to Raise Score
Prop it

New evidence of a sick, deprived population working under harsh conditions contradicts earlier images of wealth and abundance from the art records of the ancient Egyptian city of Tell el-Amarna, a study has found.

Read Full Story at news.yahoo.com

Join the Discussion

+ Add Comment
Comments So Far: 4
  • 0%
    STONERS5 months, 1 week ago

    "Studies on the remains of ordinary ancient Egyptians in a cemetery in Tell el-Amarna showed that many of them suffered from anemia, fractured bones, stunted growth and high juvenile mortality rates, according to professors Barry Kemp and Gerome Rose, who led the research."

    Reply
    • 0%
      BoxMonkey5 months, 1 week ago

      I'm not surprised since alot of Egyptians were like indentured slaves to the Kingdom . Who else was gonna build the cities up . I wonder , did they have MVP or BlueCross/BlueSheild [ it's a joke , o.k. ] .

      Reply
      • 0%
        1-2-Oscar5 months, 1 week ago

        The image of a deprived population in Egypt, an in other early high civilizations, is not new. This is simply new evidence to support an older understanding. I had the privilege of studying under the late Dr. William Murnane, who directed the excavation of the diplomatic library of Akhenaton at Amarna. Bill saw the concentration of wealth, power, and privilege in the hands of a few as a major social weakness of Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Indus Valley cultures. In Egypt, this left the Middle Kingdom vulnerable to the attacks of more vigorous peoples such as the Hyksos and the Sea Peoples. Akhenaton's reforms (suggested in the article) were likely a response to these invasions, but they were never fully realized. Similarly, the early Mesopotamian city-states were successively overrun by Elamites, Akkadians, and Assyrians, and the Harrapan cities were conquered by invading Aryans. (cont)

        Reply

        1 Reply

        • 0%
          1-2-Oscar5 months, 1 week ago

          Of these invaders, however, only the Aryans were able to integrate themselves into the existing caste structure. This may be why the caste system survived in India, right up to modern times, and why a physically stunted population was dominated by higher castes (Brahman and Kshatria) which were physically larger and healthier. The higher castes ate better.

          The importance of protein in the diet has long been recognized, although vegetarians and "health-food" advocates tend to ignore it. But there is a dramatic modern example of its effects. After World War II, the American occupation influenced the introduction of more protein into the Japanese diet. The consequence is that modern Japanese are considerably larger and healthier than their grandparents were. Obviously, they are genetically identical, so the only reason for this physical change has to be changes in their diet.

          Reply

        You must be signed in to post a comment. Sign in »

        Submitted By:
        STONERS

        I've started a ""STONERS Daily News Group"" Please stop by and have a look and join if you like it.. All welcome!!! ;~]

        Add your ...

        Also submitted:

        Related Articles:

        Why not submit a story?

        Also Propping This Article

        view all »

        Groups Watching This

        No groups are watching this story. Why not share it with your group?

        Advertisement