T for Tapputi: Female Scientists Before Our Time

Recipe for Perfume

Combine flowers with oil, calamus,

cyperus, myrrh and balsam. 

Mix with water or other solvents.  

Distill. Filter several times. 

 (my format)

This recipe for perfume was found in ancient Babylonian Mesopotamia on a cuneiform tablet dating 1200 BC. It’s the world’s first known record of a perfume-maker and a chemist, and the oldest recorded reference to a still, the apparatus used to distill liquids. The recipe had been recorded by Tapputi (also called Tapputi-Belatekallium).  

"Belatekallium" was the title for female overseer, which would have meant Tapputi had a position of authority at the Royal Palace. A second name, nini, was inscribed on the cuneiform with Tapputi's, but the first part of the name was missing on the tablet [???-nini] . 

1200 BC. Tapputi-Belatekallium's cuneiform table with perfume recipe.

Ancient Mesopotamians and Egyptians are credited with the origins of perfume-making. Egyptians used perfume in religious and cleansing ceremonies, and for embalming, but eventually used perfume as a personal scent too. Burning perfumed incense to the gods would have been important in both cultures, for offerings to their deities and for enhancing the mind and spirit. The medicinal properties of perfume would have played a role as well. In Mesopotamia, for instance, perfume was used for inhalation, poultices, and in medicated baths. 

Egypt relief of perfume-making from flowers pressed in a cloth, 4th Cent BC

The connection between a perfume-maker and a chemist did not require much convincing for me. As I wrote this piece, memories of my daughter and the little perfume-maker kit she had received at Christmas years back kept popping into mind. It may have been her most favorite gift of all time. Dolls were of no interest in comparison. The family oohed and awed over the fragrant scents she created. Years later when she pursued a degree in Micro-Biology, I remembered the little scientist blossoming in our home. It made perfect sense she had chosen a science to study. Perhaps Tapputi had been a similar girl as a child. 

Perfume kit I remember giving our daughter for Christmas

 


Source:
https://deathscent.com/2016/03/08/the-lost-history-of-women-in-chemistrythe-first-perfumer/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapputi Worwood, Valerie Ann, 2006. Aromatherapy for the Soul: Healing the Spirit with Fragrance and Essential Oils.
New World Library.
Palmer, Irene, 2013. Perfume, Soap and Candle Making - The Beginner’s Guide. Lulu.

 

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing

Q for Queen Hatshepsut: Female Scientists Before Our Time

Statue of Hatshepsut

 -Metropolitan Museum of Art

Queen Hatshepsut ruled as Egypt's 5th pharaoh from c.1478 to 1458 BC, a role she inherited when her husband/half-brother Thutmose II passed away. She had married him at the young age of twelve.  

During her reign as Pharaoh, she built beautiful temples and expanded trade to the south in Punt, trading jewelry, papyrus, and bronze weapons in exchange for ivory, perfume, gold, leopard skins and live apes. Much more has been written about her, but in brief, she was Egypt's 2nd female pharaoh and is considered to be one of Egypt's most important pharaohs. But before we get to her scientific contribution it's important to understand the back story.


After Queen Hatshepsut died, Thutmose III (her stepson/half-brother) was finally old enough to reign. She had been ruling in behalf of Thutmose, who had been ten-years-old at the start of her rule.  




Confused with the genealogy? I sure was. Below is a chart that helps explain. Technically, Thutmose III and Amenhotep II were Hatsheput's half-brothers. Hatshepsut also (according to this chart) was the same queen who found Moses of the Bible floating in the river . . . but that's another story!
 

The two half-brothers are important in Hatshepsut's story, because these are the two pharaohs who proceeded to remove all references to Hatshepsut as pharaoh. Removal of Hatsheput's reign in history included the defacing of monuments. Within a short time two jealous (?) brothers had erased the records of accomplishments from her eulogies, and taken full credit. The reasons are not all together clear. Although this was not an uncommon practice, the fact that she had been Egypt's 2nd female pharaoh makes their act all the more outrageous. Further, an important aspect of her story was lost in the process.

Temple of Hatshepsut built in Thebes

Few knew of Hatshepsut's support of education and medical science until recently, or that she had encouraged many women to study medicine. In fact, she had encouraged all of her subjects to read and become educated. A strong supporter of medical science in particular, she started three medical schools. She built botanical and herbal gardens too, where women healers were responsible for growing medicinal plants and keeping the pharmacies full. 

After the queen’s death this window of opportunity slowly faded for women. Medical practice shifted to mostly male priests and healers. Despite the setback, the medical schools flourished. Word spread, drawing many 'soon to be' Greek physicians to the schools for medical training. Historians have since added to the queen’s eulogy, her heart for science and education and the encouragement she gave to women wishing to become physicians.

Source:
http://www.ancient.eu/article/49/; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatshepsut
Brooke, Elisabeth, 1995. Women Healers: Portraits of herbalists, Physician, and Midwives. Healing Arts Press.
Bennett, Jennifer, 2009. “Lilies of the Hearth: The Historical Relationship Between Women and Plants.” In: Botanical Medicine for Women's Health, Aviva Romm, ed. Churchill Livingstone.

P for Merit Ptah: Female Scientists Before Our Time

Going back in time to ancient Egypt (c. 2700 BC) we find Merit Ptah, the first woman mentioned by name in the history of medicine. Some believe she may have been the first female scientist mentioned in all of science. 

Pyramid of Djoser

Merit was the royal court’s “Chief Physician” (or “Boss Doctor”), a title inscribed on her tomb by her son, a high priest. Merit was buried in the necropolis near the famous step pyramid of Saqqara, the Pyramid of Djoser. Built during Pharaoh Djoser’s reign (c. 2630-2611 BC), the step pyramids are considered the first and earliest known Egyptian pyramids ever built.

As the court’s chief physician, Merit would have been the king’s personal physician, as well as a teacher and supervisor of medical staff below her. Her large medicine storehouse would have included some of the estimated 160 plants known to have curative properties, and likewise, dried animal feces and certain metals, as well as therapeutic remedies. She would have relied on religious beliefs in her treatments and used the magical realm of incantations as applicable.

 Ancient Egyptian amulets were popular and 

worn for good health and magical purposes.

Egyptians stressed the importance of cleanliness, more for religious reasons than for health, but on a practical level, cleanliness was a definite win-win for doctors treating infections in patients and preventing the spread of contagious disease. Ancient Egypt was a recognized source of medical knowledge and had the best physicians in the ancient world. Their practice of mummifying the dead had given them a unique advantage in understanding human anatomy, such as blood flow and the function of internal organs. 

 Ancient Egyptian 

medical tools.

A Tomb monument of an Egyptian couple with child

Research Note: I ran into problems researching Merit Ptah, and was warned early on not to confuse her . . . with Merit-Ptah, the wife of Ramose (Governor of Thebes and Vizier under Akhenaten). And then learned not to confuse her also with . . . Queen Merit-Amun (or Meritamen). I saw a beautiful bust of Queen Merit-Amun (really her image?) reference all three women, so be warned. Confusion all over the internet 😦


Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merit-Ptah; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Step_pyramid; http://www.ancient.eu/article/49/
http://ancientstandard.com/2011/03/16/the-female-physicians-of-ancient-egypt/; http://www.ancient-origins.net/merit-ptah; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egyptian_medicine; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5215293/

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing
 

K for King's Associate, Pesehet: Female Scientists Before Our Time

Ancient Egyptian women have a long history in the medical profession, as far back as the Early Dynastic Period  (3150-2613 BC). Some believe a woman (name unknown) may have run a medical school in Sais in lower Egypt in 3000 BC.  

There was good reason a Greek woman named Agnodice (see A post) traveled to Alexandria in 300 BC to study medicine and then had to hide her profession back at home in Athens by wearing men's clothing. She knew where to get medical training, but had no idea what would happen when she returned home to practice her new profession (or so the story goes).


Pesehet was one of the earliest known women to practice medicine in Egypt. Evacuation of a tomb at Giza revealed that she had been a physician. A monument had been dedicated to her and among the titles identifying her was “Lady Overseer of the Female Physicians.” Pesehet was a physician during the 4th Dynasty and the building of the great pyramids (c. 2500 BC). Pesehet may even have taught at the temple school in Sais.




Great Pyramid at Giza

It's hard to say whether she is remembered more as a teacher or a physician. Pesehet was the “King’s associate,” or “King’s acquaintance,” suggesting she may have been the king’s personal physician.



Egyptian woman giving birth

It’s also mentioned that Pesehet had trained midwives, but some question whether she had trained ‘midwives’ or ‘female physicians’, as there is no ancient Egyptian word for midwifery. It’s interesting though that the Hebrew Bible may be enough clarification in this case, although not officially a historical source. In Exodus (1:16) we read: “And he (i.e., the king of Egypt) said: ‘When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women and see them upon the stools….”

Isn't history interesting?

Source:
http://www.ancient.eu/article/49/; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2685681
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peseshet

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing