Ancient Secrets Unearthed: 3,700-Year-Old Egyptian Mother and Unborn Child Reveal Mysterious Childbirth Tragedy
Kom Ombo was an agricultural town that’s known for its ancient “double” temple, meaning that the temple in the city possessed two sets of rooms and corridors that were built to honor two different gods.
The remains of the pregnant woman were found in a tomb, and she is thought to have been about 25-years-old at the time of her death.
The tomb itself was discovered in a cemetery that was used by travelers through the southern Egyptian desert, according to the Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mostafa Waziri. It’s believed that the cemetery dates back to 1750-1550 B.C.
The fetus in the woman’s womb was found to be in a head-down position, meaning that the baby was preparing for childbirth. This indicated that the woman may have died just before or during labor. The mother was also wrapped in a leather shroud. There were two pottery vessels found beside her as well.
Wikimedia CommonsThe Temple of Kom Ombo in Egypt.
This rare discovery can give historians and experts clues as to what maternal mortality looked like in ancient times.
Professor Sandra Wheeler from the University of Central Florida says that the discovery “reinforces the idea that childbirth was precarious and that maternal mortality was something people faced all the time.”
Wheeler, who is not directly involved with the discovery at Kom Ombo, says that without the presence of soft tissues it will be nearly impossible to determine the woman’s cause of death with 100 percent certainty.
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