[Momtwice]

(That is, the mummy they thought was the pharoah's wet nurse is actually the remains of the pharoah.)

warning, contains photo of mummy/skeleton

http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/...623990162.html

The wet nurse seems to have been granted a place of honor alongside the ruler!

I find this fascinating. While in our culture we wonder if wet nursing is safe or "appropriate," in their culture it seems to me that the wet nurse was honored, revered, and beloved....even given special treatment to assure her smooth arrival in the afterlife, if I remember my history correctly.

There are a couple hundred news stories about this. If you go to google, type in "Hatshepsut" and click on "news" rather than search.

 

[mamajanet]

What a great find! Wet-nurses were invaluable, women nourishing children in order for them to thrive.

 

[sdm1024]

what a great thing....

 

[melikahiwa]

interesting! thx
nak

 

[Ammaarah]

Very interesting article!

I was also fascinated by the myriad health problems Hatshepsut had. I read Dr. Atkin's diet book a long time ago and he wrote about how the ancient Egyptians idealized bodies were slender but that was far from reality for the privileged class. I always think of diabetes as a modern affliction but it's really an affliction of agriculture to some degree, isn't it?

 

[Calidris]

That Pharaoh was pretty amazing anyway. She declared herself a man so that she could become a Pharaoh (well, that is an over simplification of course).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatshepsut

Quote:

Hatshepsut slowly assumed all of the regalia and symbols of the Pharaonic office: the Khat head cloth, topped with an uraeus, the traditional false beard, and shendyt kilt. Many existing statues show her in both a feminine and masculine form. Statues portraying Sobekneferu also combine elements of traditional male and female iconography and may have served as inspiration for the works commissioned by Hatshepsut. However, after this period of transition ended, all depictions of her showed her in a masculine form, with all of the pharaonic regalia and with her breasts omitted.

 

[Momtwice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ammaarah Very interesting article! I was also fascinated by the myriad health problems Hatshepsut had. I read Dr. Atkin's diet book a long time ago and he wrote about how the ancient Egyptians idealized bodies were slender but that was far from reality for the privileged class. I always think of diabetes as a modern affliction but it's really an affliction of agriculture to some degree, isn't it?

Interesting thoughts, and I wonder, would a wealthy person at that time had refined grains? Would a wealthy person's lack of exercise, from a life of leisure impact the diabetes?

Pretty interesting.

 

[Ammaarah]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Momtwice Interesting thoughts, and I wonder, would a wealthy person at that time had refined grains? Would a wealthy person's lack of exercise, from a life of leisure impact the diabetes? Pretty interesting.

Dr. Atkins argued that grains in large amounts, whether refined or not, were dangerous to the health. They had tons of slaves so I'm sure they had refined grains, don't you think?

 

[G8P4]

Quote:

I was also fascinated by the myriad health problems Hatshepsut had. I read Dr. Atkin's diet book a long time ago and he wrote about how the ancient Egyptians idealized bodies were slender but that was far from reality for the privileged class. I always think of diabetes as a modern affliction but it's really an affliction of agriculture to some degree, isn't it?

Well, maybe if she had breastfed her own babies, instead of having a wet nurse, she wouldn't have had those myriad health problems!

 

[Mamma Mia]

Quote:

Originally Posted by G8P4 Well, maybe if she had breastfed her own babies, instead of having a wet nurse, she wouldn't have had those myriad health problems!

Yes! Breastfeeding your children prevents diabetes, obesity and poor dental health as you age!

 

[Momtwice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by G8P4 Well, maybe if she had breastfed her own babies, instead of having a wet nurse, she wouldn't have had those myriad health problems!

I thought it was the wet nurse that nursed her when she was a baby. But they don't specify now that you mention it. Maybe she was both!

According to Dia Michels' website there was an English nanny who worked into her 80's named Judith something....

 

[DucetteMama21842]

That's hilarious and cool!