Kathryn Hunt, a biological anthropologist and Near Eastern archaeologist, interwove a childhood dream to be an Egyptologist with a personal life crisis. At 22, she had lived and studied in Cairo, Egypt, and excavated in Mendes and the Valley of the Kings before receiving a devastating diagnosis of an aggressive ovarian cancer. Throughout treatment, her thoughts centered on what she might be able to contribute to the fight against cancer. The result was a passion to pursue the under-served niche of palaeo-oncology, the study of cancer in antiquity. Her research has revealed literary and biological patterns in evidence of cancer in ancient societies. She advocates for further research into this niche, having the potential to change the way we understand the development of cancer today.
Areas of Expertise
Archaeolgical illustration, Archaeology, Bioarchaeology, Egyptian Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Paleopathology, anthropology