MOSCOW, 20 Apr. Scientists examined several ancient Egyptian mummies of children and found that many of them had anemia during their lifetime. This is stated in an article in the scientific journal International Journal of Osteoarchaeology.
Medics and paleopathologists studied the remains of 21 people using computed tomography. The method made it possible to analyze the skeleton without removing the body from the wrappers. Specialists found traces of a pathological increase in the cranial vault in seven children. It is this, indicated in the material, that is usually associated with anemia.
It is not possible to judge from CT scan whether this disease led to the death of children whose bodies were studied. However, the team of scientists suggests that the disease, at least, could be one of the factors.
The experts also found that one child had thalassemia during his lifetime. With such a diagnosis, insufficient hemoglobin is formed in the body. The baby lived less than a year. And probably suffered from the symptoms of the disease.
Earlier it was reported that thanks to mummies it was possible to reconstruct the climate of the ancient world.