Ancient Egypt epidemic was found recently as archaeologists discovered the remains of those who were reportedly contaminated. According to Live Science, the Ancient Egypt epidemic was known as the 'End Of The World' plague as the epidemic was reportedly so terrible that an ancient writer assumed the end of the world is near.
According to Fox News, the team which found the remains of the victim of the Ancient Egypt epidemic was of the Italian Archaeological Mission to Luxor (MAIL). The MAIL team was reportedly working at the Funerary Complex of Harwa and Akhimenru in the west bank of the ancient city of Thebes (modern-day Luxor) in Egypt when they found the Ancient Egypt epidemic remains.
The Ancient Egypt epidemic remains were found while wrapped in a thick layer of lime, which historians say were used as a disinfectant in ancient times. There were also three kilns where the lime was produced found by researchers, together with a giant bonfire which had human remains. The researchers said that these remains have been from the many plague victims incinerated in ancient times.
In order to identify exactly what era the Ancient Egypt epidemic remains came from, researchers used the pottery remains found in the kilns. They found that the grisly bodies from the Ancient Egypt epidemic dated back to the third century A.D. This was, according to reports, a time when a series of epidemics, which are now known as the "Plague of Cyprian", devastated the Roman Empire, which happened to include Egypt.
The Ancient Egypt epidemic had been named after a bishop of Carthage named Cyprian. Now canonized, Saint Cyprian thought that the plague meant the end of the world is coming and thus the plague termed "end of the world" plague.
The Ancient Egypt epidemic was found to have occurred roughly between 250-271 A.D. According to Francesco Tiradritti, director of the MAIL, the Ancient Egypt epidemic "according to some sources killed more than 5,000 people a day in Rome alone." Tiradritti made described the discovery in the latest issue of Egyptian Archaeology, a magazine published by the Egypt Exploration Society.
Tiradritti's MAIL team was able to find the Ancient Egypt epidemic between the years 1997 and 2012. Built initially during the seventh century B.C. for a grand steward named Harwa was the monument that Tiradritti's team excavated.
Tiradritti cited that the Egyptians continued to utilize the monument for burial purposes even after Harwa's death. It was never used again for any other purpose and was abandoned after being used for body disposal during the period of the Ancient Egypt epidemic.
Tiradritti added that the complex use "for the disposal of infected corpses gave the monument a lasting bad reputation and doomed it to centuries of oblivion until tomb robbers entered the complex in the early 19th century."
Of course, the Ancient Egypt epidemic of course did not signal the end of the world, despite what Saint Cyprian though. However, the Ancient Egypt epidemic weakened the Roman Empire. Tiradritti wrote: "It killed two Emperors, Hostilian in A.D. 251 and Claudius II Gothicus in A.D. 270." He added, It is "a generally held opinion that the 'Plague of Cyprian' seriously weakened the Roman Empire, hastening its fall."
Ancient Egypt epidemic, according to modern day scientists, may have been some sort of smallpox or measles. Though a great discovery, the research is not yet over as the site where the Ancient Egypt epidemic remains were found is just one site and one part of the research.
Click here to see photos of the remains of the Plague Victims and the Thebes Site.
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