Dwarfs were respected in ancient Egypt

While ancient Greek, Roman, and Chinese cultures often mocked, even enslaved, small and short people, in ancient Egypt dwarves were respected, have a luxurious life. Sometimes, they even become powerful figures in society.

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The complex system of Egyptian hieroglyphs drawn and carved on architecture, arts and crafts has provided modern researchers with insights into the daily lives of the Egyptians. people here.

Statue of the Seneb family, the dwarves of high status in ancient Egypt.

Some of the broken stones and ancient texts have been found depicting people suffering from achondroplasia - a disorder of bone growth that causes disproportionate stunting.

According to Professor Chahira Kozma in his 2006 paper 'Dwarfs of Ancient Egypt', Egypt has many of the main sources of information about achondroplasia in the ancient world, with dwarven remains, including the complete or partial bones.

There was a form of ancient Egyptian literature, called 'wisdom literature', which emerged during the Middle Kingdom and became the norm during the New Kingdom. The intellectual writings of the time included moral teachings, while emphasizing that stunting should not be considered a physical disability.

According to historian Betty Adelson, the dwarves in ancient Egypt had a "close relationship" in society, so whoever possessed them was considered a person of high status.

In medieval European cultures, dwarves were often seen next to kings and queens during ceremonies or in public, because they would make the royal family appear larger than they really were. Meanwhile, in ancient Egypt, dwarves often worked as goldsmiths, servants, took care of animals and entertainers.

According to a thesis published in 1972, Department of Orthopedics and Orthopedic Diseases in Ancient and Modern Egypt, dwarves are depicted on the walls of 'at least 50 Old Kingdom tombs (2700 - 2190') BC - BC) near the pyramids in the vast cemeteries of Saqqara and the Giza plateau'.

Several Old Kingdom dwarves with high social status, such as Seneb, Pereniankh, Khnumhotpe and Djeder, were buried in fortified and solemn tombs.

Of the four little Ancient Egyptians above, Seneb served in the fourth dynasties of pharaohs Khufu (circa 2575 - 2465 BC) and Djeder (2649 BC to circa 2611 BC).

Between 1925 and 1926, archaeologists excavated the mastaba (eternal home) tomb of a dwarf named Seneb. The tomb has the shape of a truncated pyramid, built of mud bricks taken from the Nile River.

In a side room of this mastaba, archaeologists unearthed a statue depicting the dwarf and his family, now on display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

New discoveries

Ancient Egyptian Dwarf Statue.

Seneb is thought to be an achondroplastic dwarf. He is depicted in a statue with vermilion red skin, a pronounced nose and mouth, short hair, and large eyes.

According to some researchers, his 'moderate' facial features when compared with dwarfs described by the Egyptians suggest that Seneb may have suffered from hypochondroplasia (bone dysplasia), a form of bone dysplasia. milder of achondroplasia. However, his body has never been discovered, so an accurate diagnosis cannot be made.

Seneb's wife and children are of average size, and boys and girls are placed below him, a detail not coincidental. In the book 'Egyptian Treasures - from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo' printed in 1999, Egyptologist Francesco Tiradritti said that the ancient Egyptian sculptor was "skillful and acumen" in creating balance and symmetry by placing two children at Seneb's feet.

Fifty Ancient Kingdom dwarves found at Giza and Saqqara were ordinary people, working as jewelry makers, animal or pet caretakers, entertainers and entertainers. , dancers and servants.

In some Old Kingdom tombs, dwarf women are depicted as midwives and nurses. And at Saqqara, the tomb of the dwarf Mereruka, a minister of King Teti vividly described the life of the ancient dwarf artisans.

To sum up, it can be said with certainty that the life of the dwarves in ancient Egypt was particularly comfortable, compared with how the little ones were treated in other ancient cultures.

According to a 2017 research article in the Pacific Standard, in ancient Greece dwarves were used in Dionysian cult rituals as 'small, bald men with oversized, attractive penises. average-sized women'.

In ancient Rome, dwarves were enslaved and their masters purposely malnourished (starved) them in order to fetch a higher price, and similar cruelty occurred to the dwarves of the West. Africa and China.

Historian Martin Monestier describes Tang Emperor Xuanzong (712 - 756 AD) of China as having built a 'resting place for monsters'. In this dungeon, the emperor imprisoned court servants, servant dwarves, clowns, and entertainers.