Peseshet facts for kids

Peseshet was an important woman in ancient Egypt. She lived a very long time ago, possibly during the Fourth Dynasty. Some experts think she might be the earliest known female doctor in history.

Peseshet had a special job title: "lady overseer of the female physicians." This means she was in charge of other women who practiced medicine. It is not fully clear if she was a doctor herself. She also had other important titles, like "king's acquaintance." This means she knew the king well. She was also "overseer of funerary-priests of the king's mother." This means she managed priests who cared for the king's mother after she died.

Peseshet is believed to have had a son named Akhethetep. Her personal false door was found in his mastaba (a type of ancient Egyptian tomb) in Giza. A false door was a stone carving that looked like a door. It was believed to be a way for the spirit of the dead person to pass between the living and the afterlife. However, we don't have clear proof that Akhethetep was her son. A man named Kanefer is also shown on the false door. He might have been her husband. Both Akhethetep and Kanefer were important officials during the Fourth Dynasty.

Some historians think Peseshet might have trained midwives. She may have worked at an ancient Egyptian medical school in a city called Sais.

Peseshet in Fiction

Peseshet's story has inspired modern writers. She plays a big part in the 2009 novel Storm Cycle. This book was written by Roy and Iris Johansen. In the story, an archaeologist tries to find and sell old cures. These cures are said to have been discovered by Peseshet. The book also tells the story of a researcher. Her only hope to save her sister might be one of these ancient cures.

Understanding Merit-Ptah

In 1938, a writer named Kate Campbell Hurd-Mead wrote about an ancient Egyptian female doctor. She called this doctor Merit-Ptah. The things Hurd-Mead wrote about Merit-Ptah were very similar to what was known about Peseshet. The only changes were the name and the location of the tomb. It is not known where Hurd-Mead got the name Merit-Ptah. It is possible she was inspired by another woman named Merit-Ptah, who was the wife of a man named Ramose. This means that Merit-Ptah, as the "first female physician," might be a fictional character based on the real Peseshet.

See also

In Spanish: Peseshet para niños