Dating back to ancient times, the human body has been dissected for various cultural, religious, and medical purposes. Ancient Egyptian society held a common belief and respect for the afterlife. For both spiritual and cultural reasons, they went through great measures to mummify their dead. This intricate process includes dissecting the body, taking out the organs, and preserving them separately. In a sense, this ancient Egyptian ritual was also a complex medical process. The picture below depicts how Egyptians used art to supplement directions for the scientific mummification process.
The scientific study of mummies was heavily sought after in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Modern methods of scientific research are being applied to study mummies for archeological purposes. These new methods allow for research to be done without having to unwrap the mummies, which help to avoid some ethical cultural issues surrounding ancient Egyptian culture. CAT scans and X-Ray machines form a digital image of the body, allowing biologists to investigate the life expectancy of ancient people, as well as any prevalent diseases or genetic disorders. Depicted below is a mummy from the British Museum in London.
Taking the concept of art and human dissection one step further, "Bodies, the Exhibition" provides a unique and unparalleled way of exploration into the human body. These bodies are carefully dissected and preserved for display, which provide an immeasurable, informational view into human anatomy. Here, forensic pathologist Cyril Wecht narrates a tour of the Bodies Exhibit at Pittsburgh's Carnegie Science Center.
It is no question that medicine and art have been intertwined since the beginning of human history. Now more than ever, art and science are making countless break throughs in more and more fields of research. Understanding the influence of ancient methods is crucial to understanding how today's synthesis of art and science goes great lengths in gaining new perspectives for the medical, forensic, biological, and educational fields.
SOURCES:
"The Egyptian Mummification Process" Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Mar. 2013. Web. 27 Oct. 2013.
Mummification Process N.d. Photograph. Wellbeing. 27 Oct 2013.<http://www.wellbeing.com.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Mummification-process.jpg>.
Mummy at British Museum N.d. Photograph. Wikimedia. 27 Oct 2013.<http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cc/Mummy_at_British_Museum.jpg/300px-Mummy_at_British_Museum.jpg>.
The Real Human Bodies Exhibit. Steven Adams. YouTube. N.p., 28 September 2007. Web. 27 Oct. 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kJmypE1DGQ>.
Vesna, Victoria. "Medicine pt1." DESMA 9. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Ep0M2bOM9Tk>. Lecture
Hi Ashley. Great points on the preservation of mummies. I understand that the ancient Egyptians dissected these bodies to preserve holy displays of their leaders. I like your point on new studies and how technology and medicine, can help scientists see through human bodies and see their lack of organs. It still fascinates me to this day, how technology is able to capture such art.
ReplyDeleteRyan