First "Big-Boned" skeleton discovered
Egyptologists today revealed details of what is believed to be the first example of a ‘big-boned’ skeleton ever discovered. The ‘big-boned’ phenomenon is one that has mystified physicians for decades since despite the millions of apparent sufferers, no skeletons have ever been found."We were researching the mummy of an ancient Egyptian Princess Tentopet, from the time of Ramesses ‘The Great’. When we produced a computer reconstruction of her skeleton, we were quite surprised by the findings," explained Dr. Bill Billingsworth of the Sidcup Centre of Pantheonic Studies. "That Tentopet was of slightly above average height is to be expected as she would have had the better diet of royalty. However she also exhibits wider and thicker hips, thighs and upper arms, whilst the rest of her skeleton is of average dimensions."
The team hopes that their discovery will provide information for the millions of people said to be suffering from ‘big bones’.
Found with Tentopet where a number of fragile papyrus documents that the team has spent the last three years deciphering.
"There is a catalogue of the beasts of the kingdom along with the plants of her farms. Each animal and plant has been given a value," explained Dr Bill Billingsworth. "We think it is some sort of religion based on eating certain combinations of animals, or attaining a certain total. One translation of the document title is the ‘Lexicon of the Heaviness Observers’."
Entombed with Tentopet were several documents describing her reign and include details of a ceremonial weekly weigh-in for all of her female subjects involving the chant ‘No matter what, we can’t lose weight."
However it is the remarkable skeleton that has excited the team the most as their subsequent research reveals it to be a unique specimen.
"We have checked medical records, autopsy reports, and neither ancient specimens nor modern records have ever documented a genuine ‘big-boned’ human skeleton, until now," said Dr. Billingsworth. "Although they are quite common in pigs," he added
Labels: Big-Boned