Egyptian Neuroscience?

There is something called the Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus, which was originally discovered in 1862. When it was finally translated it was found to be the details of 48 case studies of neuroscience. It is the first written record and mention of the word "brain", with accurate descriptions of meneges, brain pulsations, cerebrospinal fluid and anterior fontanelle. (things even I don't know what the heck they are!) It is the most objective, scientific and clear papyrus of 14 known medical papyrus to be discovered to date. It is estimated that it was written somewhere between 3000 and 2500 b.c. Each of the 48 case studies in it has a title, description of examination, diagnosis, prognosis and recommended treatment.

Who would have thought that the Egyptians were conducting this type of research during their time period? Amazing information, if you ask me.

Which brings me to another topic. If ancient civilizations such as the Egyptians were so advanced in their time, why is it that we are not light years ahead of them now? Are we holding something back?

Mr. M

If you look across history though, you will see, that this happened wherever there was a civilazation. (same or similar discoveries, ideas etc)

www.planetpapers.com...

I've always been intrigued by the fact, that some discoveries were synchronistic, ie they were being studied/discovered at the same time, in different places.

india.coolatlanta.com...

The Aztec, are supposed to be the first that did brain surgery

www.alexandriacentral.org...

And strangely enough....so did the Incas

www.dreamscape.com...

This site, believes that the knowledge was shared

members.tripod.com...


There are many other sites that explore Alternative Theories, here is a good Index link

www.julen.net...


[Edited on 31-3-2004 by NetStorm]

This is really interesting. Most of history gives recognition to the romans for the first brain operation.

Originally posted by IKnowNothing
This is really interesting. Most of history gives recognition to the romans for the first brain operation.

If you find that interesting, check out what Heron of Alexandria did.

"There is, rather remarkably, descriptions of over 100 machines such as a fire engine, a wind organ, a coin-operated machine, and a steam-powered engine called an aeolipile. Heron's aeolipile, which has much in common with a jet engine, "

www-history.mcs.st-and.ac.uk...

Which brings me to another topic. If ancient civilizations such as the Egyptians were so advanced in their time, why is it that we are not light years ahead of them now? Are we holding something back?

Advanced civilizations such as the Egyptians, or the Mayas kept their secrets well hidden. We don't really know all these things they knew. Maybe because we aren't really ready for that knowledge/If you take a look at the history/there are always ups and downs--in all civilizations.And I believe that the "down part" always came at the right time//when people tried to play God/or believed that they were Gods...

I found an interesting site that gives you the "timeline" of History.

Tells you who did what where etc.

IE, I didn't know this

"50,000 The first settlers reach Australia. it is believed that they came in bamboo rafts from Indonesia and also from southern China"

OR this

"24,000BCE An early representation of a human was carved from mammoth ivory about 26,000 years ago. It was discovered in Brno, Czechoslovakia. The tiny "Venus of Dolni Vestonici," more than 25,000 years old, is the earliest known sculpture of a human figure"

www.cuevadelapileta.org...


timelines.ws...



[Edited on 31-3-2004 by NetStorm]

[Edited on 31-3-2004 by NetStorm]

Bloody interesting topic.

I find the ancients to be facinating, especially considering their reletive backwardsness from us.

I say reletive here because in some ways they were more advanced than us.

Do you think that our technology is so advanced, that it has not yet been released to the public for fear of the economy's stability factor? I think it might be possible. Consider this, for instance. Our Air Force had Stealth technology LONG before it ever released information of such technology to the public eye. Imagine what we have now...


Mr. M

Actually, guys, trepanning is MUCH older than that! It dates to neolithic times -- I can't find the citations right now, but I've seen citations of trepanning operations being done back in the stone age some 40,000 years ago:
www.epub.org.br...


...and here's a NICE page on the papyrus:
faculty.washington.edu...

[Edited on 31-3-2004 by Byrd]