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Tales From the Dead

Can mummified parasites reveal how ancient Egyptians lived—and died?

October 2024
By Anna Rothschild

PA Images/Alamy Stock Photo

A technician scans a mummy in a sarcophagus with a CT scanner.

PA Images/Alamy Stock Photo

CT scan

When ancient Egyptians died, they weren’t the only ones mummified. Their parasites were too! Parasites are creatures that live in or on another being and cause harm, such as intestinal worms and head lice. Today scientists are studying mummy parasites to reveal what life was like in the past. Certain parasites “might infect people more easily depending on the jobs they did, or the part of the world in which they lived, or the kind of house they had, or what they ate,” says Piers Mitchell, an archaeologist from the University of Cambridge in England.

To study the mummies, researchers use microscopes, X-rays, high-tech CT scans, DNA analysis, and more. These tools can identify worms, lice, and even single-celled parasites that were also preserved during mummification. Some were more than 5,000 years old!

When ancient Egyptians died, they were preserved as mummies. But people weren’t the only ones mummified. Their parasites were too!

Parasites are creatures that live in or on another living thing. They usually harm their hosts in some way. Gut worms and head lice are two common types. Today, scientists are studying mummy parasites to reveal what life was like in the past.

Piers Mitchell is an archaeologist, or scientist who studies ancient people. He works at the University of Cambridge in England. Some parasites provide clues about how people lived, explains Mitchell. They “might infect people more easily depending on the jobs they did, or the part of the world in which they lived,” he says. They might also reveal what someone ate or what kind of home they lived in.

Researchers have many ways to study mummies. They use microscopes, X-rays, genetic testing, and more. These tools can also identify parasites. Some have been preserved for more than 5,000 years!

Mitchell looked at more than a century’s worth of research on mummies from Egypt and Nubia, the region to Egypt’s south. He found a surprising mix of infections created by a variety of habitats like dry deserts and Nile River wetlands.

In one study, more than half the mummies had schistosomiasis, a disease caused by a parasitic worm carried by freshwater snails. Malaria was also common. It’s transmitted by mosquitoes, which breed in water. In fact, King Tutankhamen’s mummy had two different malaria strains! While many forms of this dangerous disease are now treatable, they would have had a huge negative impact on ancient Egyptian lifespans, as they still do today for people without access to medicine to treat the disease.

Even a single infection could be revealing. One mummy had Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite spread by cats. That makes sense, as ancient Egyptians worshiped cats!

There are still many conditions, like cancer, that are hard to study in mummies. But newer technologies that allow us to analyze genes and even proteins within the mummified remains are transforming our ability to probe the past. “That will open up so many doors,” says Mitchell.

Mitchell studied mummies from Egypt and Nubia, the region south of Egypt. He found evidence of many different types of parasites. Some meant that the people who carried them lived in dry deserts. Others came from wetlands.

In one group of mummies, more than half had schistosomiasis. That’s a disease caused by a parasitic worm. People get infected when they come into contact with freshwater snails. So those mummies must have lived near water before they died!

Malaria was also common in mummies. This disease is passed to people by mosquitoes. King Tutankhamen’s mummy is the most famous in the world. It had two different types of malaria! Luckily, many forms of this dangerous disease are now treatable. But it would have shortened the lives of ancient Egyptians. It still has this effect today in places where treatment isn’t available.

Even individual infections can be interesting, says Mitchell. For example, one mummy had Toxoplasma gondii. That’s a parasite spread by cats. That makes sense, because ancient Egyptians worshiped cats!

There are still many health conditions that are hard to study in mummies. Cancer is one example. But newer technologies could change that. Scientists can now analyze genetic material and even tiny proteins that diseases leave behind. “That will open up so many doors,” says Mitchell.

FINDING PERCENTS

A percent is a ratio that compares a number to 100. When you know a part and the whole, you can calculate a percent.

EXAMPLE

Of the 23 Nubian mummies tested for schistosomiasis, 15 were positive for the disease caused by parasitic worms. What percent of the Nubian mummies had schistosomiasis?

STEP 1

Identify your part and your whole.

Part: 15 infected mummies

Whole: 23 mummies total

STEP 2

Divide the part by the whole and round your answer to the nearest thousandth.

15 ÷ 23 = 0.65217. . .  rounded to 0.652

STEP 3

Multiply the decimal by 100 and add a percent sign (%).

0.652 × 100 = 65.2%

So 65.2% of the Nubian mummies tested had schistosomiasis.

FINDING PERCENTS

A percent is a ratio that compares a number to 100. When you know a part and the whole, you can calculate a percent.

EXAMPLE

Of the 23 Nubian mummies tested for schistosomiasis, 15 were positive for the disease caused by parasitic worms. What percent of the Nubian mummies had schistosomiasis?

STEP 1

Identify your part and your whole.

Part: 15 infected mummies

Whole: 23 mummies total

STEP 2

Divide the part by the whole and round your answer to the nearest thousandth.

15 ÷ 23 = 0.65217. . .  rounded to 0.652

STEP 3

Multiply the decimal by 100 and add a percent sign (%).

0.652 × 100 = 65.2%

So 65.2% of the Nubian mummies tested had schistosomiasis.

Find the percent of diseases discovered on different mummies. Round answers to the nearest tenth when necessary. Record your work and answers on our answer sheet.

Find the percent of diseases discovered on different mummies. Round answers to the nearest tenth when necessary. Record your work and answers on our answer sheet.

BSIP/UIG Via Getty Images

PINWORMS

Pinworms are gut parasites that make your backside itch! Scientists tested poop from 8 mummies, and 2 were positive for pinworm. What percent is that?

Pinworms are gut parasites that make your backside itch! Scientists tested poop from 8 mummies, and 2 were positive for pinworm. What percent is that?

Kateryna Kon/Science Source

TOXOPLASMA GONDII

Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite that can be spread by cats. Of the 5 mummies tested for it, 1 was positive. What percent had Toxoplasma gondii?

Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite that can be spread by cats. Of the 5 mummies tested for it, 1 was positive. What percent had Toxoplasma gondii?

Thom Leach/Science Source

MALARIA

Malaria is caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Of the 221 total mummies tested, 49 had the most dangerous form of malaria. What percent is that?

Malaria is caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Of the 221 total mummies tested, 49 had the most dangerous form of malaria. What percent is that?

James Cavallini/Science Source

LEISHMANIASIS

Leishmaniasis is a flesh-eating disease caused by bacteria. A total of 42 mummies were tested for it. Of those, 4 were positive. What percent had leishmaniasis?

Leishmaniasis is a flesh-eating disease caused by bacteria. A total of 42 mummies were tested for it. Of those, 4 were positive. What percent had leishmaniasis?

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