Evidence suggests that Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh may have been the first recorded ‘Giant’ 

Ancient Egyptian civilization has always been a source of wonder and fascination for people around the world. From incredible pyramids and temples to mysterious hieroglyphs, there is always something new to discover about this ancient civilization. However, a new study has just revealed some remarkable information about one of the most famous pharaohs of ancient Egypt. Researchers believe that Sa-Nakht’s presumed remains may be the oldest known human giant.

There are many myths about giants, from the ice and fire giants of Norse lore to the Titans at war with the gods in ancient Greek mythology. However, the giants are not just a myth; rapid and excessive growth, a condition known as gigantism, can occur when the body produces too much growth hormone. This usually occurs due to a tumor on the pituitary gland of the brain.

Continuing their investigation of the mummies, the scientists discovered the remains of a skeleton discovered in 1901 in a tomb located near Beit Khallaf in Egypt. Based on research done previously, estimates place the ages of these bones to the Third Dynasty of Egypt, which occurred around 2700 BC.

Previous research suggested that the man’s skeleton – believed to be 1,987 meters (6ft 1.6in) tall – may have belonged to Sa-Nakht, a Third Dynasty pharaoh. Previous research on ancient Egyptian mummies showed that the average male height at the time was about 1.7m (5ft 6in), study co-author Michael Habicht, an Egyptologist at the Institute of Medicine Evolution at the University of Zurich, said.

The ancient Egyptian kings were probably more well-fed and healthier than the commoners of the time, so they were probably taller than average. However, the 6-foot-tall remains that scientists analyzed would be taller than even Ramses II, the tallest recorded Egyptian pharaoh, who lived more than 1,000 years after Sa-Nakht and was only about 5 feet 9 inches tall ( 1.75 m). tall, Habicht said. 

In the new study, Habicht and colleagues reanalyzed Sa-Nakht’s suspected skull and bones. According to them, the skeleton’s long bones show signs of “overgrowth”, which is “a clear sign of gigantism”.

The findings suggest this ancient Egyptian may have suffered from gigantism, the researchers say, making it the oldest known case of the disorder in the world. No other member of the ancient Egyptian royal family is known to be a giant.

Habicht says studying how diseases develop over time is crucial to the field of medicine today. During the early dynasties of Egypt, it seemed that people of short stature were favored, and many of them held royal positions. However, the reasons for this preference are uncertain.

The fact that Sa-Nakht was buried with full honor in an upper-class mastaba, after reaching adulthood, suggests that gigantism at the time was probably, the researchers say. unrelated to social exclusion.