Tumor with TEETH is discovered in Egypt among remains of ancient woman who died ... trends now
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A tumor with teeth has been discovered in Egypt.
The ovarian mass - which is about the size of a nickel - was found among the remains of a woman who died more than 3,000 years ago.
The woman, between 18 and 21 at death, was unearthed at the Amarna non-elite cemetery, wrapped in a plant fiber mat and adorned with gold beads and jewelry.
The three-centimeter by two-centimeter growth was lodged in her pelvic bone, where researchers spotted the teeth with distinct enamel-covered crowns.
It is the oldest known example of teratoma, a tumor made of various tissues like muscle, hair, bone or teeth, discovered by archeologists, with previous cases found in Europe and Peru.
The three-centimeter by two-centimeter growth was lodged in her pelvic bone, where researchers spotted the teeth with distinct enamel-covered crowns
Teratomas are so rare there are no reliable figures for how many occur - but modern women still suffer from them. They happen when germ cells turn into different cells.
Amarna is a site on the east bank of the Nile River and is home to at least 1,000 pit-grave burials for non-elite citizens of the ancient city Akhetaten.
The project investigating the Amarna cemeteries began in 2005 and is currently directed by Anna Stevens from the University of Cambridge and Gretchen Dabbs from Southern Illinois
