Girvetz 2320
This talk traces the scientific afterlife of the mummy Queen Henhenit from excavation to examination and display at the Naguib Mahfouz Museum of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Cairo's Qasr al-Ainy Medical School. Henhenit's story highlights the production of race science by "colonial" and "nationalist" doctors that created a fictive link between ancient and living women's bodies. These women became objects of scientific observation and study largely without their consent. The talk illuminates the violent, material histories of race and reproduction forged through the measurement of pelvic bones, quantifications of reproductive labor power, and invasive gynecological surgeries in early twentieth century Egypt.
Taylor M. Moore is an Assistant Professor of History at UCSB. Her research and teaching focus on the entangled histories of race, gender, and science in the modern Middle East. Sherene Seikaly (UCSB History) will be the discussant for this presentation.