215: Ramesses II Battlefield Surgery

Who won? In the aftermath of battle, Ramesses and Muwattalli withdrew from Kadesh. We discuss the short- and long-term fallout and consider the "score card" for the respective armies. Then, we spend time with the wounded soldiers, using the Edwin Smith Papyrus to understand diagnoses and treatments used by ancient Egyptian physicians (swnw). Finally, we explore a curious hypothesis, suggesting that Ramesses practiced a form of "decimation" on his troops...

Kadesh LIVESTREAM Sunday 07 September (UK time) on “The Art of Kadesh” via our YouTube channel youtube.com/@ancientegypthist

Want more medicine? My interview with Dr. Bob Brier is available at open.spotify.com/episode/3mOg7BanFze6F4DYbSWT4K and my YouTube channel: youtu.be/h8I6M7-czYA?si=3vJRjEXZqwXLNtxD

The Edwin Smith Papyrus: Breasted, J. H. (1930). The Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus (Vols. 1–2) free online: hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015027232282; For a modern medical approach, see Sanchez, G. M., & Meltzer, E. S. (2012). The Edwin Smith Papyrus: Updated Translation of the Trauma Treatise and Modern Medical Commentaries.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices