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A gastric sarcoma from 3000 years ago: paleopathological diagnosis at the field

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Abstract

Objective

Ancient remains tell a lot to those who can solve their mysteries. Mummified remains of individuals have the potential to tell their life stories. Pathological conditions in mummies are identified, commonly, thorough macroscopic inspection and radiological techniques.

Patients and methods

In 2017, a hypogeum tomb was excavated close to the courtyard of Djehuty’s tomb (TT11) at the archaeological site of the Spanish Djehuty Project in Luxor (Egypt). In Sector 10, a set of at least 10 mummies were recovered. All showed clear signs of plundering and were found scattered at the site. Wrappings and associated goods indicated that the individuals were from the first half of the 20th dynasty (922 to 888 BCE).

Results

All the individuals were male and from a high social status. Upon removing the individuals for study, two dried stomachs were found. There were clear macroscopic differences. A field histological analysis was performed which revealed that the stomach that showed no alterations, at first glance, presented a pathological pattern that was compatible with gastric sarcoma.

Conclusions

Malignant diseases are seldom described in Paleopathology; to our knowledge, this is the oldest and most unique case of this type of pathology in mummies worldwide.

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Acknowledgements

This study is part of the Project HAR2017-88671-R, funded by the State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation · Spanish Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy 2013-2020. We are grateful to José M. Galán, Director of the Djehuty Project, to Carlos Cabrera for his meticulous excavation and documentation, to Zulema Barahona for her work on the ceramics, and to Javier Trueba for his graphics.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Darwin, 2, 28049, Madrid, Spain

    Jesús Herrerín

  2. Department of Pathology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, 350 Engle St Dean Bldg LL1, Englewood, NJ, 07631, USA

    Miguel Sánchez

  3. Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery Department, Hospital Universitari Sagrat Cor, Grupo Quironsalud, Viladomat 288, 08029, Barcelona, Spain

    Albert Isidro

Authors
  1. Jesús Herrerín
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  2. Miguel Sánchez
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Correspondence to Albert Isidro.

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Herrerín, J., Sánchez, M. & Isidro, A. A gastric sarcoma from 3000 years ago: paleopathological diagnosis at the field. Clin Transl Oncol 26, 1187–1191 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-023-03341-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-023-03341-z

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