5 Key Takeaways

• 1

  Researchers identified one of the earliest known cases of rheumatoid arthritis in a Nubian woman from over 3,500 years ago.

• 2

  The skeletal remains were discovered in a cemetery in southeastern Egypt, dating between 1750 and 1550 BCE.

• 3

  Osteological analysis revealed erosive lesions in the woman's joints, indicative of rheumatoid arthritis.

• 4

  The findings are significant as evidence of rheumatoid arthritis is rare in archaeological records.

• 5

  The researchers hypothesized that the woman experienced symptoms like swelling, soreness, and mobility issues.