Egyptian mummy revealed the pollution in ancient times

Scientists found particles in the lungs of 15 mummies, including aristocracy and priests.

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Ancient Egyptians may have been exposed to polluted air - speculated by scientists after finding particles in the lungs of 15 mummies, including aristocracy and priests.

Extremely small particles that can cause pneumonia are also linked to a variety of modern diseases such as heart disease, lung disease and cancer. These particles are often involved in post-industrial activities such as burning fossil fuels.

But after hearing reports that these particles were found in mummy tissues, Roger Montgomerie, a graduate student at the Egyptian Biomedical Center of Manchester University , decided to take a closer look at the Lung tissue of mummy. His work was the first attempt in identifying and studying particulate matter in Egyptian mummies.

This mummy was found in Dakhleh Oasis - a remote area in southwestern Egypt.
This man lived about 1,800 years ago - the time when the Romans occupied
Egypt.He died when he was 20-25 years old.Although many parts of the mummy are gone, the part around the lungs - where the particles are found - is still well preserved.

The 15 lungs of 15 mummies he studied so far have shown that the particles and their levels are not much lower than the amount of particles he predicts in the human lungs. great.

' I would like to say that it is less in modern people but not less than too much, ' 'Montgomerie told LiveScience. In the world of Egyptian studies, well-preserved lung tissue is rare and it is even rarer to allow it to be examined, so 15 mummies found to be nut is a significant number - Mr Montgomerie said .

All walks of life

Some mummies are ordinary workers, living in remote areas called Dakhleh Oasis, while others are at higher levels. They are nobles and priests.

' Everyone comes from a different class. It doesn't seem to be limited to a social group, ' Montgomerie said.

This finding suggests that ancient Egyptians may have experienced a series of negative effects on health.

" Certainly it will increase the likelihood of lung infections and increase the likelihood of getting something like pneumonia," Montgomerie said.

Granules and evidence of scars have been found in the lungs
Nekht - Ankh - a noble who lived about 3,800 years ago in Rifeh.
Here, this man's lung tissue has been hydrated, making it look good
looks more real.

Lung disease was discovered earlier in Egyptian mummies . A remarkable case was kept in the 70s document by Eddie Tapp, also from Manchester University.

Tapp studied the lungs of a 3,800-year-old mummy named Nekht-Ankh. Even though this person lives nearly 60 years old, his lungs are still in bad shape and may have breathing difficulties - Tapp said.

' Lung tissue seems to have been damaged and scarred ' - Tapp wrote in the book ' Manchester Mummy Project ' (Manchester University Press, 1979). Among the fibrous tissue there are some agglomeration of particulate matter.

Pollution of air in ancient times

The question is asking scientists why why so much is so popular in Egyptian society?

While ancient Egypt was a pre-industrial society, people at the time were involved in activities such as cooking, metalworking and mining - all activities could lead to pollution. gas. In addition, Egyptian climate with many deserts and sandstorms can unleash any kind of particles from the ground into the air and people can easily breathe.

Currently, Montgomerie has devised an experiment that he hopes will shed light on the origins of these particles.

He will burn different sources of fuel once used by Egyptians and collect soot produced during combustion, then compare them with particles in ancient lung tissue.

In addition, he also collected sand from archaeological sites in Egypt and compared them with grains of sand found in the mummy's lungs. He said sand from the desert is eroded and is often 'beautiful and round ', while sand produced or exploited is often ' new, sharp and angular sand '. He said that it would take at least three months to get results from his experiment.

This study is presented at the 12th Annual Egypt Studies Conference , held at Durham University , USA in March.