Ancient Egyptians Used Antibiotics 2,000 Years Before Penicillin

Long before the accidental discovery of penicillin in 1928, ancient populations were harnessing the power of antibiotics. Chemical analyses of skeletal remains from ancient Nubia, a kingdom located in present-day Sudan, have revealed significant amounts of tetracycline. These bones, dating from between 350 and 550 A.D., showed such high concentrations of the antibiotic that it indicated regular and long-term consumption. Researchers first made this startling discovery in the 1980s when the bones emitted a tell-tale yellow-green fluorescence under ultraviolet light, a characteristic of tetracycline exposure.

The source of this ancient antibiotic is believed to have been a type of beer. The grain used for brewing was likely contaminated with a soil bacteria called *Streptomyces*, which naturally produces tetracycline. This wasn't just a rare, accidental contamination; the bones of a vast majority of the population, including a young child, were saturated with the antibiotic. This widespread and consistent exposure has led researchers to believe that the Nubians were intentionally producing and consuming this antibiotic-laced beer for its medicinal properties.

This early use of antibiotics may have been a deliberate form of medicine. Some scientists theorize that the Nubians recognized the healing effects of certain batches of beer and continued to cultivate the tetracycline-producing bacteria for future brews. The golden-colored colonies of *Streptomyces* might have even been seen as a positive sign by the ancient brewers. This finding challenges the conventional timeline of medical history, suggesting that the empirical science of creating therapeutic agents is a much older practice than previously understood.