Scholars gather in Seattle to discuss ancient Egypt

The patient, a woman, was clearly in distress, with persistent sores and pain so fierce it cut like a knife.

Dr. W. Benson Harer Jr., of Seattle, recognized the symptoms as "a very good indication of genital herpes." And he would have helped, barring one inescapable fact: He was a few thousand years too late.

Harer, an OB/gyn by profession and an amateur Egyptologist by passion, learned about the case from a centuries-old medical text written on papyrus.

His interest in sexually transmitted diseases in a long-ago civilization may be the ultimate proof that no aspect of ancient Egypt has gone unstudied, a fact that will be in evidence this weekend as 300-plus Egypt scholars gather from around the world.

In more than 100 different presentations beginning Friday at the downtown Grand Hyatt Seattle, researchers will present findings on everything Egypt, from customs and clothing to coins, dance, pyramids and more. The event is the 59th annual meeting of The American Research Center in Egypt, a nonprofit formed to facilitate American study in Egypt and to strengthen cultural ties between the countries.

Americans' fascination with ancient Egypt persists partly because "it presents us with two very different faces," said Gerry D. Scott III, the center's director, who is based in Cairo, Egypt. "It's a combination of things that are familiar, that strike a chord with us, and things that are mysterious, that are alluring."

For example, some ancient everyday items such as cosmetic jars and toys might seem familiar today. But mummies, pyramids and the secrets behind them continue to intrigue.

Movie buffs have already seen the work of one of the speakers at this weekend's conference. Stuart Smith has consulted on films such as "Stargate" (1994), "The Mummy" (1999) and "The Mummy Returns" (2001). Other headliners include Kara Cooney, an authority on ancient Egyptian language, and Mark Lehner, an expert on the Giza pyramids.

Harer, 77, a past president of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, first went to Egypt in 1970 on a tour with his wife. "I was fascinated," he recalls. "When I came home, I started reading all I could."

In 1978, he returned on an expedition which mapped sites of key tombs. While he was staying in a remote village, a doctor asked him to assist a 14-year-old pregnant girl who was "possessed by demons" and unconscious.

"I wanted to transfer her to a hospital, which was impossible," Harer said. "We induced labor and I spent the night with him and four women holding her body."

No heartbeat was detected from the unborn child, and Harer prepared the family for the likelihood that the child would be born dead. When the baby was born alive and the girl revived, shouts of joy spread through the village.

"From that moment on, I was hooked," said Harer, adding that in that one night, he learned more about Egyptian society, culture and values than he could have in weeks of study. He's been back to Egypt with research expeditions nearly every year since.

Examining photos of papyrus scrolls, records of a mummy autopsy and clay figures, Harer has found indications of herpes, chlamydia and cervical cancer. In one ancient medical text, the image of a knife is used to convey pain associated with ulcerated sores of the vulva, a sign Harer says suggests the herpes virus.

While most speakers will discuss ancient Egypt, Shaun Lopez, an assistant history professor at the University of Washington, is part of a trend to bring attention to more modern topics.

Instead of mummies and pyramids, Lopez has been studying Egypt's Olympic soccer teams of the 1920s.

"The 1924 Olympics were a big coming-out party for a newly independent Egyptian state," said Lopez, noting that the country yearned to show that not only was it free of English rule, but that it was modern and successful.

"These teams were a great source of national pride."

Jack Broom: 206-464-2222 or jbroom@seattletimes.com