What is Imhotep?
[[Image:Imhotep-Louvre.JPG|thumb|200px| A statue of Imhotep]] '''Imhotep''' was a high priest and a doctor in [[ancient Egypt]]. Imhotep also became famous as an architect. Imhotep was the architect, physician, scribe, and chief advisor of the 3rd-Dynasty pharaoh [[Djoser]]. He was later worshipped as a god. As a god, he was often pictured seated, wearing a long kilt robe and a skull cap or a shaven head. He had a [[papyrus]] scroll spread on his lap to show he was a scribe and a scholar. == Step pyramid == [[Image:Pyramid of Djoser.jpg|thumb|220px|A step pyramid]] As an architect, Imhotep was most famous because he was the designer of the [[step pyramid]] at Sakkara. Before the step pyramid, [[pharaoh]]s were buried in flat topped buildings called [[mastaba]]s. The term mastaba comes from the word meaning bench, because they look like the benches most Egyptians placed outside their door. An average mastaba had four walls, a flat top and an underground burial chamber, reached by a [[vertical]] shaft or stairwell.The step pyramid was actually just a number of mastabas placed one on top of the other, each one smaller than the previous one. There were also a couple of small rooms above the burial chambers with items for the [[afterlife]]. == Medical writer == Imhotep’s best-known writings were medical scrolls. He is thought to have written the Edwin Smith papyrus. The papyrus lists 48 injuries of which 27 are head [[Injury|trauma]], and six are spine trauma. Here’s an example for treatment of a head injury: “Examination: If thou examinest a man having a wound in his head, while his wound does not have two lips, penetrating to the bone of his skull, (but) not having a gash, thou shouldst palpate his wound (or, thou shouldst lay thy hand upon it); shouldst thou find his skull uninjured, not having a perforation; a split, or a smash in it. Treatment: Thou shouldst bind it with fresh meat the first day (and) treat afterwards with grease, honey (and) lint every day until he recovers wound in the head” {{nosourc