Historical Figures

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Méryt-Ptah, first doctor

Ancient Egyptian physician, Meryt-Ptah (27^th century BC) is the first woman in history mentioned as a physician.

Beloved of Ptah

Méryt-Ptah exercises during the III^th Egyptian dynasty, Old Kingdom of Egypt, 27^th century BC. Her name means “beloved of the god Ptah“, god of craftsmen and architects.

We know Méryt-Ptah through its representation in a necropolis in the Memphis region. In the tomb inscriptions, her son, a high priest, mentions her name and speaks of her as a "chief physician", implying that she held an important position, supervised doctors and takes care of the pharaoh. This inscription makes her the oldest physician known by name today.

Women doctors in ancient Egypt

The majority of doctors in ancient Egypt are men, but Meryt-Ptah is not the only name to appear in the sources. Sources suggest that there was, around 3000 BC, a medical school run by a woman (whose name is unknown) near the temple of Neith at Sais.

During the Fourth or Fifth Dynasty, another woman, Peseshet, also appears as one of the first female physicians in history, with the title of "supervisor of female physicians." Also note that the Book of Exodus, in the Bible, mentions the presence of midwives in Egypt.

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