Genetic Abnormalities in Ancient Egyptian Royal Families

Genetic Abnormalities in Ancient Egyptian Royal Families It seems that throughout history, the words royalty and incest have gone hand in hand. Familial interbreeding occurred throughout a significant number of royal lines, including the British, Hawaiian, and Japanese thrones. However, none of these families, nor any other royal family for that matter, can match the profound rate at which the Egyptians practiced incest. Ancient Egyptian royal marriages were almost exclusively restricted to relatives, with very few exceptions. This practice originated from the belief that in many cases, Gods bred with their sisters or brothers, and since royals were the direct descendents of the Gods, they must practice incest as well. Since the†¦show more content†¦It does not seem that we need to spend much time on the question of whether Kleopatra, a kind of Ptolemaic bad seed, actually inherited a concentrated set of chromosomes genetically programming her to murder her siblings.† Ager does in fact have a strong point. There is no way to definitively say whether or not somebody had mental disease that far back into history and whether or not the proposed compromised mental capacity was in fact caused by a genetic default caused by incestuous inheritance. An important point Ager also makes is that even though significant inbreeding would seem likely to produce some sort of genetic compromise, one cannot assume that this is definitely the case. The social taboo of present times would automatically believe that this is an inevitable consequence of these matings, but ‘likely is not the same as ‘inevitable’. Combinations of genetic material are random, not determined by a genetically (or divinely) mandated programme of punishment for offenders against the taboo† (Ager 10). Another important topic that must be discussed in this debate of gene abnormalities is the very famous case of King Tutankhamen. His mummy was discovered nearly a century ago and his young rise to the throne and premature death has both fascinated and puzzled scholars for decades. Only in the last five years have scientists andShow MoreRelatedThe Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs Fair The Negative Repercussions Of An Incestual Bloodline?2610 Words   |  11 Pagesroyalty and nobility seem to outweigh this fundamental virtue. Nowhere is this more true than in ancient Egypt, where members of the royal family were encouraged to marry and mate with close relatives, even siblings or parents. How did the ancient Egyptian pharaohs fair the negative repercussions of an incestual bloodline? While grandiose archeological findings may indicate that the nobility of ancient Egypt lived a spectacularly lavish lifestyle and were revered as gods, this romantic viewpoint oftenRead MoreWhat Makes People Behave From The Way They Do?2049 Words   |  9 Pagesmillennia, and helps philosophy departments all over the world to continue to receive their limited budgets. Answer t o this question are wide ranging, and have changed throughout time. Religions point to their gods and doctrines to find an answer. Ancient thinkers varied this religious answer somewhat by referring to some immaterial spirit that is found in human nature that makes us different from other animals that inhabit the Earth. Over time the answer to this eternal question came to result inRead MorePros and Cons of Incest3450 Words   |  14 Pagestolerated. Examples of these are: The Graeco-Roman period of Egyptian history. Numerous  papyri  and the Roman census declarations attest to many husbands and wives being brother and sister. Some of these incestuous relationships were in the royal family, especially the  Ptolemies; the famous Cleopatra VII  was married to her younger brother,  Ptolemy XIII. Her mother and father,  Cleopatra V  and  Ptolemy XII, had also been brother and sister. In  Ancient Greece,  Spartan King  Leonidas I, hero of the legendary  BattleRead MoreInternational Management67196 Words   |  269 PagesEditorial Director; Laura Spell, Managing Developmental Editor; Jane Beck, Editorial Coordinator; Jaime Halteman, Marketing Manager; and Erin Melloy, Project Manager. Last but by no means least, we greatly appreciate the love and support provided by our families. Fred Luthans and Jonathan P. Doh LUTHANS The eighth edition of International Management: Culture, Strategy, and Behavior is still setting the standard. Current authors Fred Luthans and Jonathan P. Doh have taken care to retain the effective