This papyrus includes an ancient Egyptian hangover cure
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Even the ancient Egyptians needed to cure their headaches after a night of drinking.
A 1,900-year-old collection of medical papyri that was just translated includes a "drunken headache cure," which involves wearing a necklace made from laurel leaves near your head.
The text is part of the Oxyrhynchus Papyri, which contains more than 500,000 papyrus scraps, including works from ancient Greek authors, such as Sophocles. Written in Greek, the collection was discovered in Oxyrhynchus, Egypt in 1915, but researchers from the University of Oxford and University College London only recently translated the section that includes the hangover cure.
Article continues belowThe Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Other medical advice in the section offers treatments for ulcers, dental issues, and eye surgery. Vivian Nutton, a professor at University College London, wrote in the volume's introduction that it represents "the largest single collection of medical papyri to be published."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.
