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Ancient pill ingredients probed

Ancient pill ingredients probed | Archaeology News | Scoop.it

Medicine that is more than 2,000 years old has been analysed by scientists.

Six tablets were discovered in a tin box onboard an ancient Roman shipwreck, found off the coast of Italy.

Samples of the fragile material revealed that the pharmaceuticals contained animal and plant fats, pine resin and zinc compounds.

Writing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers said the medicine might have been used to treat eye infections.

"I am surprised by the fact we have found so many ingredients and they were very well preserved considering it was under water for so much time," said Maria Perla Colombini, professor of chemistry from the University of Pisa.

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Severed Hands Discovered in Ancient Egypt Palace

Severed Hands Discovered in Ancient Egypt Palace | Archaeology News | Scoop.it

This is first physical evidence of a grisly practice during ancient war.

The archaeologists have unearthed the skeletal remains of 16 human hands buried in four pits in Egypt.

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