Shared Scribal Ailment: A Malady Modern-Day Scribes Also Experience
Spine-Bending Scribes: Egypt's Elite Workforce's Unseen Toll
Ancient Egyptian scribes, making up just a 1% of Egyptians who could read and write, earned high status in society. New findings reveal these documentarians suffered from osteoarthritis due to their labor-intensive jobs, as published in Scientific Reports.
Archaeologists examined the remains of 69 adult males buried in Abusir's necropolis, dating from 2700 BCE to 2180 BCE. Their research uncovered statistically significant variations in the skeletal traits of the scribes compared to a reference population, predominantly affecting the joints, spines, and jaw areas of the scribes.
Veronika Dulíková, an Egyptologist at Charles University and co-author of the study, told LiveScience, "Scribes, who were officials with scribal skills, belonged to the elite of the time and formed the backbone of the state administration." With the kingdom on their shoulders, it's no surprise their spines bore its weight and showed the signs even in death.
The researchers noted that while age could be a factor, it's highly probable that the scribes' working posture contributed significantly to these degenerative changes. A typical scribe's position, with the head forward and the spine flexed, forced the spine to bear an uncomfortable load, potentially causing degeneration, especially in the C7-T1 motion segment.
The scribes' TMJ, or temporomandibular joint, also showed signs of disfigurement. The team surmised this was due to the prolonged chewing of the brush used to write hieroglyphs, a practice likely causing TMJ disorders unlike modern cases. Other upper body afflictions included osteoarthritis in the hand, suspected of being due to the repetitive pinch grip required for writing with the pen.
Lower body osteoarthritis was more prevalent in the hip, knee, and ankle, suggesting the scribes might have favored a specific seating position that caused lumbar spine overloading. Remember to pay attention to your posture as you read this.
In ancient Egypt, scribes may have faced additional health issues such as eye strain, respiratory problems, and general health risks common in their time. Although specific health concerns unique to scribes may not be well documented, their work environment and activities hint at potential issues related to posture, vision, and general health conditions.
In essence, while specific health issues for scribes might not be extensively detailed, their work settings and activities suggest probable problems related to posture, vision, and general health threats common among ancient Egyptians.
- The working posture of the scribes, characterized by a forward head and flexed spine, probably contributed significantly to the degenerative changes seen in their spines.
- The repetitive pinch grip required for writing with a pen might have led to osteoarthritis in the hand of ancient Egyptian scribes.
- The prolonged chewing of the brush used to write hieroglyphs likely caused disfigurement in the scribes' TMJ, or temporomandibular joint.
- The scribes' lower body, especially the hip, knee, and ankle, showed more prevalent signs of osteoarthritis, possibly due to favoring a specific seating position that caused lumbar spine overloading.
