Ahmose-Meritamon

Ahmose-Meritamon Human Mummy
Biographical Information
Name(s)	Ahmose Meryet Amon
Age	40
Sex	Female
Status	Princess
Height
Source
Culture	Egyptian
Date(s)	1550 and 1580 B.C.
Site	Deir el-Bahri Royal Mortuary Temple
Current Location
Location	Egyptian Museum in Cairo
Catalog #

Biography

Princess Ahmose Meryet Amon (meaning "Child of the Moon, Beloved of Amun") was the daughter of Pharaoh Seqenenre Tao II and she lived in Thebes roughly 3500 years ago around 1550 and 1580 B.C. She died around the age of 40 due to heart disease which scientists have identified as coronary atherosclerosis which leads to heart attack or stroke.

Mummification

Princess Ahmose was buried in the Deir el-Bahri Royal Mortuary Temple. She was found with blockages in five major arteries. Currently her body can be found in the Egyptian Museum of Cairo.

Studies

In an investigation in 2011, 52 mummies were scanned about half of them indicated signs of clogged arteries. In fact Princess Ahmose is the earliest known sufferer of coronary atherosclerosis. Since mummies have there hearts removed it became hard to determine if the mummies died from heart disease.

Pathology

Medical text dating back to 1550 and 1580 B.C. show that there was pain in the arm and chest that precedes a potentially fatal heart attack. Scientists feel this could be caused by the elite class having a more sedentary lifestyle and access to more food then the poorer class. Due to lack of evidence scientists can not conclude if the cause of the heart disease was due to lifestyle or other factors such as genetics since in her family there were a couple of other queens and princesses that had atherosclerosis. Another possibility is that atherosclerosis can be brought on by chronic inflammation since the princess was known to have arthritis and inflammation of the joints and she also had severe dental disease, which is another inflammation.

External Links

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/04/110415-ancient-egypt-mummies-princess-heart-disease-health-science/

References

Owen, J. (2011, April 15). Egyptian Princess Mummy Had Oldest Known Heart Disease. Retrieved January 12, 2017, from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/04/110415-ancient-egypt-mummies-princess-heart-disease-health-science/