Introduction

The technique of histology has been used for more than a century throughout the world. It is still the basis of modern day pathology for the diagnosis of plant, animal, and human diseases. Histology is also known as microscopic anatomy. The word ‘anatomy’ comes from the Greek ana- meaning ‘up’ or ‘through’ plus tome meaning ‘a cutting.’ Thus, at first, the term ‘anatomy’ meant a ‘cutting up’ procedure because the structure of the body was originally learned through dissecting it with knives.

The word ‘histology’ comes from the Greek histo- meaning ‘tissue’ plus logos meaning ‘treatise.’ Therefore ‘histology’ is a treatise about the tissues and cells of the body. When applied to mummified tissues, it is generally known as ‘palaeohistology,’ a term first used by Moodie (1920). Whereas modern day histology is a diagnostic tool, very different information is sought from the histological examination of the ancient tissues. For example, it is always necessary to identify the type of tissue and its state of preservation. In addition, it is sometimes possible to diagnose diseases and assess the nutritional status of the individual from whom the tissue was taken.

The histology of ancient Egyptian tissues

Techniques of rehydration and fixation

Essentially histology is the production of thin sections of tissue that can be stained and examined with a microscope. The major disadvantage of histological investigation of ancient tissues is that the samples examined are destroyed and can never be returned to the body.