PHYSICIAN

Merit-Ptah

2700 BC - 2659 BC

Merit-Ptah

Merit-Ptah ("Beloved of Ptah") was thought to be a female chief physician of the pharaoh's court during the Second Dynasty of Egypt, c. 2700 BCE; she is purportedly referred as such on an inscription left on her grave at Saqqara by her son. However, in recent times it has been argued that she most likely never existed, being a modern 1938 invention of a Canadian feminist called Kate Campbell Hurd-Mead. Jakub Kwiecinski, a historian at the University of Colorado, was cited by secondary source Newsweek arguing that the made-up story of Merit-Ptah exemplifies how "seemingly well-sourced Wikipedia articles" can mislead, and he cautioned against over-reliance on secondary sources. Read more on Wikipedia

Her biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Merit-Ptah is the 172nd most popular physician (down from 152nd in 2019), the 201st most popular biography from Egypt (down from 190th in 2019) and the 2nd most popular Egyptian Physician.

Merit-ptah was a pharaoh of Egypt during the Middle Kingdom. He was most famous for his military campaigns against the Libyans and the Assyrians.

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Among PHYSICIANS

Among physicians, Merit-Ptah ranks 172 out of 726. Before her are E. Donnall Thomas, Sushruta, Carl Wernicke, Albert of Riga, Severo Ochoa, and Andrew Schally. After her are Oswald Avery, Kitasato Shibasaburō, Bernardo Houssay, Friedrich Miescher, Robert Knox, and August von Wassermann.

Most Popular Physicians in Wikipedia

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E. Donnall Thomas
1920 - 2012
HPI: 68.14
Rank: 166
Sushruta
620 BC - 600 BC
HPI: 68.12
Rank: 167
Carl Wernicke
1848 - 1905
HPI: 68.05
Rank: 168
Albert of Riga
1165 - 1229
HPI: 67.92
Rank: 169
Severo Ochoa
1905 - 1993
HPI: 67.84
Rank: 170
Andrew Schally
1926 - 2024
HPI: 67.71
Rank: 171
Merit-Ptah
2700 BC - 2659 BC
HPI: 67.68
Rank: 172
Oswald Avery
1877 - 1955
HPI: 67.58
Rank: 173
Kitasato Shibasaburō
1853 - 1931
HPI: 67.52
Rank: 174
Bernardo Houssay
1887 - 1971
HPI: 67.48
Rank: 175
Friedrich Miescher
1844 - 1895
HPI: 67.27
Rank: 176
Robert Knox
1791 - 1862
HPI: 67.22
Rank: 177
August von Wassermann
1866 - 1925
HPI: 67.18
Rank: 178

Contemporaries

Among people born in 2700 BC, Merit-Ptah ranks 6. Before her are Khufu, Sneferu, Khaba, Sanakht, and Hetepheres I. After her are Prince Rahotep, Henutsen, Meritites I, Meresankh I, Djefatnebti, and Horus Sa. Among people deceased in 2659 BC, Merit-Ptah ranks 1.

Others Born in 2700 BC

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Khufu
ARCHITECT
2700 BC - 2570 BC
HPI: 86.57
Rank: 1
Sneferu
POLITICIAN
2700 BC - 2609 BC
HPI: 76.53
Rank: 2
Khaba
POLITICIAN
2700 BC - 2700 BC
HPI: 69.93
Rank: 3
Sanakht
POLITICIAN
2700 BC - 2715 BC
HPI: 68.50
Rank: 4
Hetepheres I
POLITICIAN
2700 BC - 2700 BC
HPI: 68.08
Rank: 5
Merit-Ptah
PHYSICIAN
2700 BC - 2659 BC
HPI: 67.68
Rank: 6
Prince Rahotep
POLITICIAN
2700 BC - 2700 BC
HPI: 63.54
Rank: 7
Henutsen
NOBLEMAN
2700 BC - 2600 BC
HPI: 61.04
Rank: 8
Meritites I
ARCHAEOLOGIST
2700 BC - 2600 BC
HPI: 60.30
Rank: 9
Meresankh I
COMPANION
2700 BC - 2700 BC
HPI: 59.70
Rank: 10
Djefatnebti
POLITICIAN
2700 BC - Present
HPI: 58.28
Rank: 11
Horus Sa
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
2700 BC - 2700 BC
HPI: 58.23
Rank: 12

Others Deceased in 2659 BC

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Merit-Ptah
PHYSICIAN
2700 BC - 2659 BC
HPI: 67.68
Rank: 1

In Egypt

Among people born in Egypt, Merit-Ptah ranks 201 out of 642. Before her are Neferefre (-2500), Cosmas Indicopleustes (600), Al-Ashraf Khalil (1260), Intef III (-2050), Tewfik Pasha (1852), and Thamphthis (-2600). After her are Mentuhotep III (-2050), Zahi Hawass (1947), Claude François (1939), Autobiography of Harkhuf (-2300), Kiya (-1400), and Tetisheri (-1600).

Others born in Egypt

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Neferefre
POLITICIAN
2500 BC - 2458 BC
HPI: 68.07
Rank: 195
Cosmas Indicopleustes
EXPLORER
600 - 550
HPI: 67.91
Rank: 196
Al-Ashraf Khalil
POLITICIAN
1260 - 1293
HPI: 67.89
Rank: 197
Intef III
POLITICIAN
2050 BC - 2065 BC
HPI: 67.87
Rank: 198
Tewfik Pasha
POLITICIAN
1852 - 1892
HPI: 67.81
Rank: 199
Thamphthis
POLITICIAN
2600 BC - 2560 BC
HPI: 67.79
Rank: 200
Merit-Ptah
PHYSICIAN
2700 BC - 2659 BC
HPI: 67.68
Rank: 201
Mentuhotep III
POLITICIAN
2050 BC - 2005 BC
HPI: 67.63
Rank: 202
Zahi Hawass
ARCHAEOLOGIST
1947 - Present
HPI: 67.62
Rank: 203
Claude François
SINGER
1939 - 1978
HPI: 67.62
Rank: 204
Autobiography of Harkhuf
POLITICIAN
2300 BC - 2259 BC
HPI: 67.47
Rank: 205
Kiya
POLITICIAN
1400 BC - 1400 BC
HPI: 67.46
Rank: 206
Tetisheri
POLITICIAN
1600 BC - 1540 BC
HPI: 67.40
Rank: 207