Clara Martínez-Moreno
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Departament de Ciències de l'Antiguitat i de l'Edat Mitjana-Institut d'Estudis del Pròxim Orient Antic, PhD fellow, FPU2022-00325, funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España)
Egyptology and ancient Orientalism at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, PhD dissertation (in progress) entitled "Ancient Egyptian Iatromagical Papyri: perception and construction of female identity and corporeality".
January 2026. Visiting scholar in Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale (Egypt).
April - July 2025. Visiting scholar in Ägyptologisches Institut in Universität Leipzig (Germany).
September - October 2023. Visiting scholar in Ägyptologisches Institut in Universität Leipzig (Germany).
September 2022 - January 2023. Visiting scholar in the MISHA (Maison Interuniverstaire des Sciences de l’Homme – Alsace), laboratoire ArcHiMèdE Archéologie et Histoire ancienne – Méditerranée et Europe (UM 7044), Université of Strasbourg.
2019-2021. MA Egyptology in Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB).
2014-2018. BA History in Universitat de Valencia (UV).
Research based on Egyptian identities, ritual, symbolism and ways of living through medico-magical papyri (Pharaonic period), in dialogue with Gender Studies and Anthropology.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-7609-2418
Supervisors: Marc Orriols i Lonch; Josep Cervelló Autuori
January 2026. Visiting scholar in Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale (Egypt).
April - July 2025. Visiting scholar in Ägyptologisches Institut in Universität Leipzig (Germany).
September - October 2023. Visiting scholar in Ägyptologisches Institut in Universität Leipzig (Germany).
September 2022 - January 2023. Visiting scholar in the MISHA (Maison Interuniverstaire des Sciences de l’Homme – Alsace), laboratoire ArcHiMèdE Archéologie et Histoire ancienne – Méditerranée et Europe (UM 7044), Université of Strasbourg.
2019-2021. MA Egyptology in Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB).
2014-2018. BA History in Universitat de Valencia (UV).
Research based on Egyptian identities, ritual, symbolism and ways of living through medico-magical papyri (Pharaonic period), in dialogue with Gender Studies and Anthropology.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-7609-2418
Supervisors: Marc Orriols i Lonch; Josep Cervelló Autuori
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Conference Presentations by Clara Martínez-Moreno
The practice of Egyptian medicine is inextricably linked to the written word. Beyond the textual nature of the primary source for its study – the iatromagical papyri – a plethora of remedies have been preserved, the treatment for which must be inscribed on various media. Indeed, linen is mentioned in cases such as the Spell L27 (5,8-6,8) from London BM EA 10059 papyrus or the text from ostracon Leipzig ÄMUL 5251. Pottery is also used, for example in the Spell 35 (vs. 11.9–11.11) from the Leiden I 348 papyrus.
It is acknowledged that this writing practice may not be regarded as innovative or extraordinary in comparison to other Egyptian ritual practices, as it evokes the tradition of producing amuletic papyri or letters to the dead. However, there are documented instances where the chosen canvas is different: the skin or body of the patient.
This paper aims to shed light on examples where the practitioners’ writings and the patients’ bodies were intertwined, encompassing the spells 21 (rto. 12, 4-7) and 22 (rto. 12, 7-11) from Leiden I 348 papyrus, among others. Comparisons between the motifs selected for the animate/human and the inanimate/no human media will be addressed, as well as reflections on the (literal) embodiment of the word in Egyptian medical practices, the ritual gestures related, and the various levels of literacy within Egyptian society that could be deduced from them.
Ancient Egyptian healing practices constitute a significant domain for examining emic perspectives on pathological thought, anatomical knowledge, and pharmacology, as scholarship has recognized since the earliest stages of Egyptology. Yet a further question emerges: what if these practices also allow us to identify the ideological, classificatory, and hierarchical frameworks that underpinned ancient Egyptian society, and through which health and illness were conceptualized?
Iatromagical papyri constitutes the primary sources capable of addressing this question. Across the thousands of preserved remedies, the development of healing procedures could be identified, with explicit mentions of who the patient or healer was, the types of actions they were expected to perform, and how both parties might have responded to the various therapeutic processes. Such data provides valuable insights into the distribution of roles, responsibilities, and expectations within healing procedures, and into how these textual traditions encoded broader cultural understandings of agency, performance and authority.
Therefore, when examined through anthropologically informed methodologies, such as practice theory and embodiment frameworks, these textual and linguistic features may enable the identification of the agential attributes ascribed to each actant, as well as elucidate the ways in which agency intersects with wider sociocultural categories, including gender, class, ontology, and ethnicity, within the healing procedures delineated in this corpus. This dual philological and anthropological approach allows us to move beyond the descriptive level of remedies and prescriptions, and to interrogate the extent to which healing procedures operated as mechanisms for the (re)creation of normative social structures.
This paper aims to provide an interdisciplinary methodological framework that isolates agential roles and the interactions among healing actants, while evaluating how these ritual practices mirrored and reinforced Ancient Egyptian cosmic order (mꝫꜤt). Through this proposal, we seek to contribute to the understanding of medical-magical texts as culturally situated performances of personhood and social harmony.
Mediante la aplicación de metodologías interdisciplinares – aunando la semiótica, la antropología lingüística y los estudios de género – proponemos analizar los diálogos preservados en esos remedios, identificando las voces de los diferentes actores y su capacidad dialéctica durante los procesos curativos egipcios. Así, revisaremos el tipo de discurso (directo o indirecto) y contextualizaremos procesos semióticos (práctica, indexicalidad, ideología y actuación) conservados en dichos compendios.
Nuestro objetivo es discernir sobre cómo las competencias lingüísticas de los protagonistas de los procesos curativos pudieron determinar y ser muestra de la agencialidad y jerarquía(s) inherentes a los diferentes miembros de la sociedad egipcia, y, además de si estas estaban marcadas por categorías como el género o la clase.
Palabras clave: curación, lingüística, agencialidad, género
Ancient Egyptian iatromagic papyri - or medical papyri - were written with the aim to cure any illness avenue, whether the sick were human or divine, or whether the illness was infectious, dermatological, ocular, gynecological, mythological...
The considerable number of remedies, one can reflect on healing as a moment of tension and, moreover, as a moment of hope towards the desire to calm and care for the sick person. Despite being unable to know the actual level of effectiveness of all the applications and ingredients found in these texts, there are a few textual and linguistic formulas that allow us to see the wish that the sick body manages to become healthy again. Among other means, the use of verb tenses (r sDm-t=f, sDm·xr=f, r sDm) or expressions like “A method effective a million times” (sSm-w mAa HH n sp) are proof of this need to ensure good recovery.
By analyzing such linguistic formulas, we will shed light on mechanisms by which Egyptian society theoretically placed its hope in regaining health. All at once, we could reveal which situations need more hope to heal, which illnesses are perceived as the most dangerous by Egyptian society, and which bodies are the most affected. In addition, this analysis of hope enables us to hypothesize about the power and trust relationships between the practitioner and the sick individual during these treatments.
Keywords: iatromagical papyri, language, hope, healing.
Most of these terms are conserved in what Egyptologists call medico-magical papyri, textual sources composed by different types of treatments applied to the human (and divine) individuals.
A considerable percentage of those treatments are dedicated to “reproduction management activities”1 within female bodies. Such typology has often been perceived by researchers as proof of gender equal conditions in Ancient Egyptian society, based on this presumed deep knowledge about female body parts.
Nevertheless, through our under-going PhD research, we have identified examples of misunderstandings of these terms. The choice of one term or the other -womb, vulva or vagina- both in the original production and in their modern translations could imply differences of how the female body was conceived by the ancient Egyptian scribes and by Egyptologists.
By pointing out some terminological misconceptions in primary and secondary sources, we intend to show to what extent such inaccuracies may result in incorrect interpretations of ancient Egyptian corporeality(ies) perceptions, as well as the treatments themselves.
17-18 d'Octubre, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.
Paraules clau: “medicina”, antic Egipte, divinitats, identitats, arquetips, textualitat.
En l’antic Egipte, la religió impregnava totes les capes de la vivència humana.
D'aquesta circumstància es deriva la proliferació d’al·lusions a les diferents divinitats, conservades en fonts de diversos contexts i naturaleses. Per a aquesta comunicació, proposem analitzar, mitjançant l’estudi dels remeis conservats als papirs iatromàgics, la presència divina present als espais de curació. Específicament, aspirem a identificar com s'articulaven i sustentaven els discursos i dinàmiques socials per mitjà de les invocacions, pregàries i transfiguracions conservades en aquestes fonts textuals.
Aquestes exhortacions al diví permeten relacionar les diferents patologies amb moments específics in illo tempore, en els quals les divinitats són protagonistes com a pacients i/o agents. La qüestió fonamental és que els déus i deesses egípcies no sols serien apel·lades únicament per la seva potència curativa o màgica, sinó que a més funcionaven com a arquetips mítics amb els quals les agents i les pacients humanes podrien identificar-se.
En aquest sentit, analitzar quina funció s'associa a cada divinitat i en quin context patològic pot oferir-nos una idea de com s'articulava el cosmos i, per tant, la societat des de la mirada egípcia. Tot això permetrà reconèixer els símbols mític-religiosos dominants en els papirs iatromàgics i com aquests símbols/discursos influeixen en la representació i conceptualització de les realitats materials: les identitats de les pacients i les agents divines.
d'étudier les aspects de la pratique de la médecine en Égypte. Bien qu'ils aient
traditionnellement été étudiés d'un point de vue purement scientifique, en les abordant
sous des angles sociologiques et anthropologiques, nous pouvons aussi saisir leur rôle et leur utilisation pour la société égyptienne.
Effectivement, en rassemblant les éléments linguistiques, mythologiques et les
références aux réalités corporelles et matérielles de chacun des sexes, ces sources
permettent de comprendre les conditions de vie des membres de la société égyptienne, ou du moins la manière dont ces éléments étaient perçus par ceux qui produisaient les textes.
Le pourcentage élevé de remèdes consacrés à ce que l'on appelle la santé des femmes fournit aussi un excellent cadre pour étudier les réalités et les cycles de vie des femmes égyptiennes, qui ont été réduits au silence dans tant d'autres contextes.
Le papyrus Ebers, étant le corpus médico-magique le mieux conservé,
est une source essentielle pour se consacrer à des études suivant cette proposition
originale. Cette perspective méthodologique essayera de retracer la construction et la
perception de la corporalité et de l'identité féminine, à partir des types de remèdes dans lesquels les femmes égyptiennes ont joué un rôle de premier plan - principalement, mais pas seulement, en tant que patientes - et du type d'informations qu'elles nous offrent sur leurs processus vitaux.
Los papiros yatromágicos (o mágico-médicos) son una de las múltiples fuentes para estudiar aspectos relacionados con la medicina del antiguo Egipto. A pesar de que tradicionalmente se han estudiado desde una perspectiva médica, estos papiros también permiten a quienes los investigan ahondar en otro tipo de aspectos relacionados con la sociedad egipcia.
Y es que los diferentes remedios conservados ofrecen la oportunidad de indagar sobre la existencia de parámetros socializadores. Dichos parámetros son fundamentales para la configuración de las identidades y corporalidades egipcias desde un punto de vista sociocultural y, al mismo tiempo, determinantes para la definición de estereotipos sociales, como son la masculinidad y la feminidad.
En este sentido, sería posible interpretar a través de las mencionadas fuentes papirológicas los discursos que ayudaron a construir – y a su vez fueron construidos por – la cultura egipcia. Solo son necesarios enfoques que hermanen la tradición egiptológica con las aportaciones de los estudios de género y la antropología cultural y textual y aplicarlos al estudio de fuentes tan conocidas como el papiro Ebers, el papiro Edwin Smith o el papiro Hearst, entre otros.
De ahí que esta comunicación – que surge de mi investigación doctoral – pretenda precisamente demostrar lo necesario que es este tipo de estudios holísticos en pos de nuevos e inexplorados resultados. En este caso, nos decantaremos por el estudio de la conceptualización de la feminidad y del cuerpo femenino y su correspondencia con la realidad (o realidades) de las mujeres egipcias. Para ello, se abordará cómo se alude a cuestiones como las partes del cuerpo femenino, las enfermedades presentes en mujeres o las invocaciones a divinidades femeninas.
Palabras clave: papiros mágico-médicos, identidades, estudios de género, antropología
This is not the only case where this type of representation is chosen when it comes to screening Egyptian women. This ideal of beauty is a continuum observed from the first peplum films, such as The Ten Commandments (C.B. DeMille, 1956) or Land of the Pharaohs (H. Hawks, 1955), to cartoon films like The Prince of Egypt (B. Champman, S. Wells, S. Hickner, 1998) or Tadeo Jones y la Maldición de la Momia (E. Gato, 2022); through to the highly acclaimed (especially among Egyptologists) The Mummy (S. Sommers,1999-2000).
There is no doubt that any contemporary cultural production about the past feeds on and (re)produces stereotypical images, and Egyptian civilisation is no exception. However, what is truly striking is that the image transmitted of Egyptian women has remained practically constant decade after decade, even though our knowledge of this social group is becoming more and more extensive. If we recognise that no slavery (or alien engineering) was used in the construction of the pyramids, why do we reproduce ad nauseam the same standards of female beauty to represent all Egyptian women without exception?
Through this paper we will question to what extent these characteristics were inherent to Egyptian women or if it is just another case of orientalism. To do so, we will review these films in comparison with Egyptian sources that mention female aesthetics and corporeality, such as textual (literary and medical) or iconographic ones. Hence, we will try to identify what discourses and images were constructed and transmitted by Egyptian society (or part of it) about women and their image, what would be real (or not) about this type of portrayal, and how these ideas have been adopted and reinterpreted by contemporary culture.
This fascination with Egyptian medicine has been developed partially by the good preservation of several textual sources devoted to the compilation of diseases and treatments for them: the iatromagical papyri. These texts have traditionally been studied by Egyptology as if they were true medical and scientific corpuses.
However, these remedies are not only the paradigm of Egyptian physiological language, but also account for fundamental issues in the construction of identities – or what is called ‘identity politics’ (Csordas, 2002: 141). Reviewing the textuality of these sources from a semiotic perspective allows us to identify not only its objective and scientific language, but also how the Egyptian society is there represented.
In this paper we will apply linguistic anthropology methodologies to the iatromagical papyri to demonstrate how, through ritual healing, gender stereotypes were represented, performed, and reinforced in ancient Egyptian society.
Papers by Clara Martínez-Moreno
Books by Clara Martínez-Moreno
El workshop internacional Net (of) Words: Net (of) Words: Language, Writing and Culture in Ancient Egypt and the Ancient Near East neix com un espai on presentar i debatre línies de recerca i treballs en curs que comparteixin l’aplicació de les metodologies i marcs teòrics propis de les disciplines esmentades, aplicades a les civilitzacions bressol dels primers sistemes d’escriptura. Així mateix, es pretén que serveixi com un lloc de trobada i diàleg entre diferents investigadors/es a l’inici de la seva carrera acadèmica, per afavorir la discussió dels reptes epistemològics i la posada en comú de noves metodologies i perspectives en relació amb l’estudi de les fonts textuals primàries.
El workshop internacional Net (of) Words: Language, Writing and Culture in Ancient Egypt and the Ancient Near East nace como un espacio donde presentar y debatir líneas de investigación y trabajos en curso que compartan la aplicación de las metodologías y marcos teóricos propios de las disciplinas mencionadas, aplicadas tanto a la cuna de los primeros sistemas de escritura. Asimismo, se pretende que sirva como un lugar de encuentro y diálogo entre diferentes investigadores/as en los inicios de su carrera académica, para favorecer la discusión de los retos epistemológicos y la puesta en común de nuevas metodologías y perspectivas en relación con el estudio de las fuentes textuales primarias.
Incluye presentación de las jornadas y horarios.
Editoras: Patricia Bou Pérez, Ana Diez-Flórez, Nerea López-Díaz, Clara Martínez-Moreno.
Editado por el Institut d'Estudis deL Pròxim Orient Antic (IEPOA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona,.
ISBN (edición digital): 978-84-128138-8-3
Llibre d'abstracts Jornades Internacionals d'Estudis de Gènere en Egipte i Pròxim Orient Antic (EGEPOA).
Inclou presentació de les jornades i horaris.
Editores: Patricia Bou Pérez, Ana Diez-Flórez, Nerea López-Díaz, Clara Martínez-Moreno.
Editat per l'Institut d'Estudis deL Pròxim Orient Antic (IEPOA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona,.
ISBN (edició digital): 978-84-128138-8-3
Posters by Clara Martínez-Moreno
3rd November 2024
Keywords: Egyptology, Assyriology, Gender studies, Communication, Social Media
Gender studies have established a significant presence in Egyptology and Assyriology, although not as prominent as other areas of interest. Despite its now broader tradition, discussions on gender in Egyptology and Assyriology largely remain confined to specialists, with limited outreach and communication to the broader public. This lack of visibility has a negative impact on both fields, as traditional perspectives and narratives continue to dominate public discourse.
In response to this challenge, we launched the project "Estudis de Gènere en Egipte i Pròxim Orient Antic - EGEPOA” (Gender Studies in Ancient Egypt and the Near East) one year ago. Our initial goal was to bring together students and early-career researchers in gender studies within Egyptology and Assyriology, fostering networks and promoting research beyond strictly academic circles. Subsequently, we expanded our efforts by leveraging social media, particularly Instagram, to communicate gender studies in these fields and reach a diverse audience.
This poster presents our experiences conducting the EGEPOA project and the use of our Instagram profile to communicate gender studies. We share results from data analysed via Instagram’s professional dashboard and from our workshop attendees, including audience demographics such as age groups, nationality, and gender.
Historically, both contemporary sources and Egyptological scholarship have relegated the activities of ancient Egyptian women to the margins. However, it is possible to trace their presence and activities outside the official and traditional networks in Egyptian society, beyond the elite male gaze.
The practice of midwifery as well as the contribution of women to science in ancient Egypt has always been rather silent. Unfortunately, the scarcity of sources dating to before the Graeco-Roman Period has hampered the understanding of this topic. Previous research has offered elusive answers. For example, it has often been suggested that the role of midwife was occasionally filled by friends, neighbours, or family members.
To shed some light on this topic, it is crucial to inquire about their activities, their decision-making capacities, and their spheres of influence. It should be questioned as to whether the mentions of women’s agency were biased or not, and how far these assumptions were from ancient Egyptian women’s reality (or realities).
In this research, we try to adopt a holistic approach to the subject, examining two thousand years of archaeological, iconographical, and philological primary sources, and considering Anthropology, Gender Studies, and Ethnography’s contributions. Our hypothesis is that the professional office of midwifery already existed in Egypt before the
Graeco-Roman Period. Indeed, there seems to be a strong connection between midwives and women linked to the cult of Hathor. The aim of this paper is to restore dignity to ancient Egyptian women, by embracing the idea that their impact on their own health and society goes beyond childbearing, rearing, and nursing.
Keywords: midwives, agency, gender studies, medical practices, female physicians
Call for Papers (Organizing Committee) by Clara Martínez-Moreno