Ancient Egyptian 'office workers' had terrible posture just like us, disfigured skeletons reveal

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Jennifer Nalewicki is a Salt Lake City-based journalist whose work has been featured in The New York Times, Smithsonian Magazine, Scientific American, Popular Mechanics and more. She covers several science topics from planet Earth to paleontology and archaeology to health and culture. Prior to freelancing, Jennifer held an Editor role at Time Inc.

Ancient Egyptian scribes worked in cramped and hunched over positions that were so extreme, it may have led to them developing osteoarthritis in their joints and other skeletal issues, a new analysis reveals.

"Officials with scribal skills belonged to the elite of the time and formed the backbone of the state administration," study co-author Veronika Dulíková, an Egyptologist at the Czech Institute of Egyptology of the Faculty of Arts at Charles University, in the Czech Republic, told Live Science in an email."They were therefore important for the functioning and management of the whole country.

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.The researchers also noticed unique indentations in both kneecaps of each scribe, and a"flattened surface on a bone in the lower part of the right ankle," according to the statement. She added,"We may realize that although they were high-ranking dignitaries who belonged to the ancient Egyptian elite, they suffered the same worries as we do today and were exposed to similar occupational risk factors in their profession as most civil servants today."

 

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