ABSTRACT
The ancient Egyptians yanked the brain out of the skull and threw it away. When preserving important organs of the body for the afterlife through mummification, they apparently thought nothing of the poor squishy brain. Anatomical violence—a cortex hooked and splurted out through the nose. As it turns out, the brain was not ignored. Many ancient people did have interesting ideas about its function. Examining the oldest known medical records of an Egyptian doctor, it is clear that the brain was correlated to movement and to several thinking capacities. An injury to the head was noted as able to cause serious dysfunction. The brain alone is often said to judge and guide human experience; accordingly, we pursue the brain’s pliability and techno-enhancement. In stark contrast, the beating heart of the ancient Egyptians could do little to make transformative strides unless the gods decided otherwise.
