I was perusing the news on Yahoo today and found a most
interesting archaeological dig in a tomb found in Abusir, southwest of
Cairo. Khentkaus III was a queen in the era of
the Old Kingdom (2649-2150 BC). Her husband, Pharaoh Neferefre (sometimes
called Reneferef), ruled some 4,500 years ago. Carbon dating can predict her
age and they can determine if she suffered from physical ailments, how she
died, how many children she had.
Archeologists did find fragments of
pottery, woodwork, copper and animal bones. It’s amazing how much they can
determine by looking at a tomb and its contents.
The painstaking reconstruction of each
item will show how she lived during that time period with one exception. They
cannot reconstruct her face. Unfortunately, her skull was smashed, most
probably by tomb raiders.
The writer of the article, Thomas Page for CNN, writes:
"(It was) a
crucial period when the Old Kingdom started to face major critical factors: The
rise of democracy, the horrific impact of nepotism and the role played by
interest groups," he says, adding that climate change also played a role
in bringing an end to not only the Old Kingdom empire, but those in the Middle
East and Western Europe at that time.
Within 200 years
of the Queen Mother's death, the Nile no longer flooded and drought consumed
the kingdom.
So that
is clearly climate change for ancient Egyptians. The article went on to say the
drought brought about poor harvests and ultimately, financial ruin. No taxes,
no more pyramids, no more building an empire on the backs of the commoners.
And I
thought to myself, wow, nothing has changed in 4500 years: “a rise of
democracy, horrific impact of nepotism and the role played by interest groups” and
climate change. That frightens me. Those who do not learn from history are
doomed to repeat it.
I can only
hope that the world has the capacity for change in the next few centuries:
where we can eliminate greed, crime, war, poverty, hunger and disease. A world
where people are truly equal and truly free.
Can we work towards bettering ourselves and humanity? If it sounds like
Jean Luc Picard’s vision of the 24th century, that’s what I’m going
for. Can I get an “Alleluia?” More importantly, can I get a replicator?
Accessed
1 FEB 2016
