The ‘anatomical’ crescent-shaped structure in Gardiner Sign-List F 34 and F 35

If our aim is to study the ancient Egyptian views on human medicine, we need to relinquish our present-day anatomy model and examine what the ancient Egyptians believed about anatomy. The best information can be acquired by the precise observation of the organs depicted in the artistic renderings of butchery scenes and the details we find on the hieroglyphs F34 and F35. The “crescent-shaped structure” which both signs have in common plays a crucial role in the three-dimensional model we propose that connects heart, stomach and lungs to form a single unit. Using relevant excerpts from pEbers the article demonstrates that this anatomical model with its direct reciprocal correlation is entirely acceptable in emic terms and corresponds completely to the function that has been attributed to each of these organs, both in their normal healthy state and in pathological deviations.