Latest / Ramses the Great: Egypt's Most Powerful Pharaoh — Fexingo History / Ramses the Great's Dentists: Toothache in Ancient Kemet
Transcript
- Lucas: So, we've talked about Ramses' chariots, his temples, even his hairdressers, I think. But there's one part of his body we haven't really examined—his teeth. And honestly, for a guy who lived into his nineties, that's a pretty important topic. Luna: His teeth? Did he have problems? Lucas: Oh, absolutely. The evidence is right there in his mummy. When they unwrapped Ramses the Great, they found severe dental issues—abscesses, worn-down enamel, even a jaw infection that might have been the final straw. But the fascinating part isn't just that he had tooth trouble; it's how the Egyptians dealt with it. Lucas: For centuries, people assumed ancient medicine was all magic and superstition. But the Egyptians had a word for dental practitioners—swanw, which means 'tooth doctor.' They were specialists, not just general healers. And their toolkit was surprisingly advanced. Luna: Wait, they had actual dentists? Like, a specific job title? Lucas: Exactly. The swanw were part of a broader medical hierarchy in Kemet. You had the rekh-chet, which means 'one who knows things'—basically a general practitioner—and then you had specialists. The swanw focused on teeth, treating everything from cavities to gum disease. And we know they existed because of inscriptions and papyri. Lucas: Take the Ebers Papyrus, for instance. It's one of the oldest and most comprehensive medical texts we have, dating to around 1550 BCE. It contains over 800 remedies, and several are specifically for dental issues. There's a treatment for loose teeth that involves a paste of incense, honey, and a mineral called natron. You'd apply it to the gums. Whether it worked is another question, but they were trying. Luna: Honey as medicine—that's actually got some antibacterial properties, right? Lucas: That's a great point. Modern research has shown honey can inhibit bacterial growth, so those ancient Egyptians weren't just making things up. And natron, which is a natural salt, would have been mildly antiseptic too. So there was empirical knowledge mixed in with the ritual. Lucas: Then you have the Hearst Papyrus, another collection of medical remedies from around the same period. It includes a prescription for 'a tooth that falls out,' which sounds kind of dire. The remedy? A mixture of oil of turpentine, fruit, and a pinch of... something that translates as 'donkey's hoof.' You know, for flavor. Luna: Oh, yuck. Really? Lucas: I know. Some of these ingredients are a little out there, but you have to remember, they were working with what they had. And the swanw didn't just rely on potions. They had actual surgical instruments—bronze forceps, probes, and even drills. Well, a bow drill, like the kind used for fire-starting, but with a stone or copper bit. Lucas: They used these to extract decayed teeth or drain abscesses. It must have been painful—no anesthesia, obviously. But they did have options like opium, which was used in some remedies, and alcohol might have been involved. Not exactly a pleasant trip to the chair. Luna: So was Ramses himself treated by these guys? Like, did he have a personal dentist on staff? Lucas: We don't have a record of a personal swanw for Ramses—not like we have for his scribes or viziers. But given the resources of the court, it's almost certain he had access to the best available care. And from his mummy, we can see he needed it. His jaw shows signs of severe periodontitis, along with a dental abscess that may have led to a systemic infection. Lucas: Some researchers have even theorized that his final days were marked by incredible pain, possibly contributing to his death. That's kind of wild to think about—a pharaoh who conquered nations, brought down by a toothache. Luna: That's both tragic and strangely human. Lucas: Exactly. It's easy to see these guys as statues, but they were flesh and blood. And their dental problems weren't just from age—they came from the food. Egyptian bread was made from emmer wheat, and the grinding stones used to process it left tiny bits of grit in the flour. Over time, that sand acted like sandpaper on the enamel, wearing teeth flat and exposing the pulp to infection. Lucas: So everyone, from the lowest worker to the pharaoh himself, was dealing with the same dental wear and tear. We've actually found skeletons from Deir el-Medina, the village where the tomb builders lived, and they show the same patterns of tooth erosion and abscesses. Lucas: There's even a record from that village—on an ostracon, a piece of pottery they used for notes—where a worker complains about a toothache so bad he couldn't work. It's like reading a sick note from 3000 years ago. Luna: So the workers had their own dentists too? Lucas: Possibly. The village complex at Deir el-Medina had a physician, and he might have handled dental cases. But there were also 'doctors of the teeth' who traveled, kind of like itinerant specialists. You'd hire one if you needed a tricky extraction—or if you had the funds. Lucas: And here's something else interesting. The Egyptians didn't just treat the symptoms; they also tried to prevent problems. Some texts recommend chewing on certain herbs, like myrrh or carob, which have natural antibacterial properties. They were basically ancient mouthwash. Luna: Myrrh—that's the stuff they used in temple rituals, right? Lucas: Yeah, and it also shows up in dental remedies. A common rinse involved myrrh and honey mixed in water. That combination would have helped with gum inflammation. Not exactly a minty fresh taste, but for the time, it was cutting-edge. Lucas: So, when we think about the legacy of Ramses the Great, we usually think of battles and monuments. But his dental health—and the care he received—tells us just as much about the sophistication of his civilization. Lucas: It's a reminder that, despite the distance in time, people have always dealt with the same basic human problems. A toothache hurts, no matter what century you live in. Luna: And you know, if you're enjoying this deep dive into ancient mouths, this is the kind of episode that makes a coffee worth it. Lucas: Ha, you're not wrong. If today's conversation gave you something to chew on, and you want to keep us going, there's a simple way to support the show—buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Just a dollar or two helps keep the podcast ad-free and lets us keep digging into these odd corners of history. Luna: Yeah, it's the smallest ask, and it goes a long way. We appreciate every listener, no matter what. Lucas: But back to teeth. One more thing that fascinates me: the Egyptians believed in a kind of dual approach—practical medicine and magic. So alongside those herbal remedies, they had spells. A swanw might recite an incantation over a patient, calling on the gods to drive out the 'worm' that was believed to cause tooth decay. Lucas: There's a famous spell from the Leiden Papyrus that describes this worm, which was thought to bore into the tooth like a parasite. The doctor would speak the spell while applying a paste of cumin, saffron, and other ingredients. It's a perfect example of how they blended science and superstition. Luna: So it's not just about pulling teeth—there was a whole ritual around it. Lucas: Absolutely. For the patient, that ritual was comforting. It gave them a sense of control over something painful and mysterious. And let's be honest, even today, we have our own version of that—placebos work, right? Lucas: Now, what about the actual extraction? We have evidence of a surgical technique where they'd use a chisel to split the tooth and remove it in pieces. That must have been brutal, but it was effective for teeth that couldn't be saved otherwise. Lucas: They also had a type of dental bridge—a primitive one, made of gold wire, found in some mummies. They'd tie the wire around adjacent healthy teeth to hold a replacement in place. It wasn't common, but it shows they were experimenting with restorative dentistry. Luna: Gold wire? That's surprisingly modern. Lucas: Right? And it wasn't just cosmetic—it might have helped with chewing and speech. So, the next time you complain about your dentist, just think of Ramses. He had to endure this with nothing but a piece of leather to bite on and a prayer to Sekhmet. Lucas: But here's the thing: for all the pain, the Egyptians left us a remarkable record. Their medical papyri, their skeletal evidence, their artistic depictions—they reveal a society that took health seriously, long before the Greeks or Romans came along. Luna: And now I'm picturing Ramses with a swollen jaw, trying to give orders to his generals. Lucas: Exactly. He might have been a superpower, but he was also a guy who couldn't chew his bread without wincing. It levels the field, doesn't it? Lucas: So, to wrap up: the swanw were true pioneers. They had specializations, effective remedies, and a mix of pragmatism and spirituality that defined Kemet's approach to medicine. And Ramses II, the great and powerful, carried those dental battles to his grave—quite literally. Lucas: Thanks for joining us on this toothsome journey. If you want to know more about Ramses or ancient Egypt, we've got a whole back catalog to explore. But for now, I'm Lucas. Luna: And I'm Luna. Take care of those pearly whites, everyone.