Scroll Study Shows More Ancient Egyptian Venomous Snakes

In the journal Environmental Archaeology, our recent study delves into the insights that ancient civilizations’ written records can provide about the wildlife they coexisted with. Our research, centered on venomous snakes documented in an ancient Egyptian papyrus, reveals a surprisingly diverse array of snake species in the land of the pharaohs. This newfound diversity sheds light on why Egyptian authors had such a strong focus on snakebite treatments.

Deciphering Ancient Texts and Wildlife

Similar to ancient cave paintings, early historical texts often depict the wildlife known to the writers, offering valuable insights. However, identifying the specific species can be challenging. Take, for example, the Brooklyn Papyrus, an ancient Egyptian document dating back to roughly 660-330 BC, likely a copy of an even older text. This papyrus catalogues various snake types from that era, detailing the effects of their bites and the recommended treatments.

Sacred Serpents and Unusual Attributes

In addition to bite symptoms, the papyrus associates deities with each snake, suggesting divine intervention for a patient’s salvation. For instance, the bite of the “great snake of Apophis,” a god taking the form of a snake, was believed to cause rapid death. It’s worth noting that this snake, described as having four fangs (uncommon for snakes even today), deviates from the usual two.

The Brooklyn Papyrus mentions a diverse array of venomous snakes, with 37 species listed, although descriptions for 13 of them have been lost over time. Present-day Egypt hosts significantly fewer snake species, leading researchers to ponder the exact identities of these ancient creatures.

The concept of a four-fanged snake like the great snake of Apophis doesn’t align with any present-day snake species in ancient Egypt. Modern Egyptian vipers and cobras, responsible for most global snakebite fatalities, only have two fangs in their upper jaw. Snakes possess independently moving jaw bones on both sides, unlike mammals.

Unraveling the Boomslang Enigma

The nearest contemporary snake known to have four fangs is the boomslang (Dispholidus typus), primarily found in sub-Saharan African savannas, over 400 miles (650 km) south of today’s Egypt. The boomslang’s venom can cause severe bleeding and fatal brain hemorrhages. Could the Apophis snake be an early description of the boomslang? If so, how did the ancient Egyptians encounter a snake now residing so far to the south?

To investigate these questions, our master’s student, Elysha McBride, utilized a statistical modeling technique called climate niche modeling to explore the historical changes in the geographic ranges of different snake species in Africa and the eastern Mediterranean.

Niche modeling involves recreating the environmental conditions in which a species thrives and pinpointing areas on Earth with analogous conditions. After training the model to recognize currently suitable locations, historical climate data can be incorporated. The model subsequently generates a map illustrating all the areas where the species could potentially have existed in the past.

Uncovering Ancient Serpents

Our research indicates that the more humid climates of ancient Egypt could have hosted snake species no longer found in the region today. We focused on ten species from the African tropics, the Maghreb in North Africa, and the Middle East, aiming to match them with the descriptions in the papyrus. These included some of Africa’s most infamous venomous snakes like the black mamba, puff adder, and boomslang.

Our findings suggested that nine out of these ten species might have inhabited ancient Egypt in the past. Many could have thrived in the southern and southeastern parts of the ancient land, corresponding to modern-day northern Sudan and the Red Sea coast. Others might have resided in the fertile Nile valley or along the northern coast. For instance, boomslangs could have populated areas along the Red Sea coast that, four millennia ago, would have been considered part of Egypt.

Likewise, the Brooklyn Papyrus describes a snake with quail-like patterns and a hissing akin to a goldsmith’s bellows. Though the puff adder (Bitis arietans) fits this depiction, it now resides exclusively south of Khartoum in Sudan and northern Eritrea. Our models suggest that this snake once had a wider northern range.

Environmental Shifts and Coexistence

Significant environmental changes have transpired since our study period. Climate drying and desertification commenced about 4,200 years ago, though not uniformly across the region. Farming and irrigation in the Nile valley and along the coast possibly moderated these effects, allowing various species to persist into historical times. This implies that numerous venomous snakes, known from elsewhere, might have coexisted with Egypt’s ancient civilization.

Our research emphasizes the fusion of ancient texts with modern technology. Even vague or imaginative ancient descriptions can provide valuable insights. Modeling the past ranges of present-day species yields essential information about ecosystem transformations in our ancestors’ environments due to shifts in the natural world. This knowledge deepens our understanding of their interactions with local wildlife.

Read the original article on: Phys Org

Read more: Lasers Show Massive, 650-Square-Mile Maya Site Hidden Beneath Guatemalan Rainforest