Kahun Papyri

The medical papyri from Lahun are also often performed in the history of medicine under the name Papyrus Kahun. Thus, the medical papyrus Kahun VI.1 and the Veterinary Papyrus Kahun LV.2, both ancient Egyptian origin, although combined, in the professional world but still distinguished. They consist of smaller papyrus fragments, which are overloaded with various recordings and were apparently torn and thrown away after it was cross-listed on them bills and everyday things.

Discovery

Both documents were 1888/89 by the English archaeologist William Flinders Petrie during excavations in the working class neighborhood Medinet Kahun at El - Lahun ( Lahun, Kahun ) discovered in the oasis of Fayyum, 1898 translated into English by Francis Llewellyn Griffith, and then publishes the most important papyri. The papyri are now in the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, University College London.

Medical Papyrus Kahun VI.1

This papyrus, also Medical Papyrus of Kahun Gynaecological Papyrus or called from Kahun, dates from about the time of 1850 BC ( Amenemhet III. , 12th Dynasty ) and contains a total of three sheets primarily a kind of reference book ( schesau ) of the gynecology with 17 diagnoses of women's diseases, birth 17 forecasts, recipes for facilitating conception, contraception, or references to the treatment of hysterical illnesses. In addition, the priest papyrus lists, temple inventories, various collections, a few literary texts below contains an example of the Hymn to King Sesostris III. and on a back of a small settlement from the time of Amenemhet III.

Veterinary Papyrus Kahun LV.2

This papyrus, also Veterinary Medical Papyrus of Kahun called, is dated to about 1800 BC ( Middle Kingdom ). In contrast to almost all other papyri this text is written not in rows but in columns, but only in fragments present and contains remnants of a book on animal diseases which have not yet been fully translated yet. However, an exact division into several study courses can be seen which correspond to the basic medical concept of short diagnosis, symptom description and treatment instructions. At best, the text sections on cattle diseases are obtained in which, among other things, the first extant description of rinderpest is included. In addition, patients also referred to as fish, goose and dog.

Importance

This papyrus is with his veterinary content, the first and oldest known veterinary literature document of humanity. After Driesch (1989 ) testifies to this important piece of Fund also by a high level of development of the ancient Egyptian animal medicine.

Other fragments

In addition to these two major fragments, there are still some minor papyrus fragments from Lahun that belonged probably to the medical papyri. However, they are so mutilated that little can be said about them.