Women in STEM: Ancient Times - Part I

First of all, STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, mathematics and encompasses all disciplines and sub-disciplines related to these four fields.

Throughout history, the tendency has been to ignore the intellectual work of women, associating their intelligence even with witchcraft. However, despite the attempt to diminish their role in the progress of human groups, their contributions have been documented in different historical periods. Although, in the Ancient Ages not many women were documented for their participation and contribution in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, there are records of some prominent women from Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and China.

The following is a list of women in STEM for whom there is a record years before the Christian era.

Merit-Ptah (2700 B.C.)

 

It is believed that around 2700 BC, there lived an Egyptian woman named Merit-Ptah, who is credited with the title of the first female physician and scientist. Her son, who was a high priest, was even said to have appointed her Chief Physician, which would also make her the first female leader of a health care system. However, there is nothing to prove her existence.

Enheduanna (2300 BC)

It is believed that she may have been the first female astronomer of antiquity. She was the astronomer and chief priestess. She controlled the extensive areas surrounding the temple, where agriculture was practiced, as well as the activities scheduled for the liturgical year, it is known that she was a talented and powerful woman.

Aganice (1900 BC)

Also referred to in some texts as Athyrta, she was an Egyptian princess who worked in the fields of astronomy and natural philosophy. She used celestial spheres and studied the constellations in order to predict the future.

Aglaonice of Thessaly (1900 B.C.)

 

She is considered the first woman astronomer of Ancient Greece, who is credited with the ability to predict the general area where a lunar eclipse could occur, which earned her the reputation of being known as a sorceress, as she was believed to be able to make the moon disappear.

Hatshepsut (1500 B.C.)

The fifth pharaoh of the XVIIIth dynasty of Egypt, the second woman confirmed with this title. She promoted botanical expeditions in search of plants for medicinal use.

Tapputi-Belatekallim (1200 B.C.)

She is considered the first woman chemist, creator of perfumes. She is mentioned in a cuneiform tablet dated around 1200 B.C. in Babylonian Mesopotamia.

Theanus of Crotona (500 B.C.)

Considered the first woman philosopher and considered by some to be one of the first women mathematicians, history places her as a disciple of Pythagoras. Several of her writings were preserved, covering topics in medicine, psychology, physics and mathematics.

Agnodice (150 B.C.)

An Athenian woman named Agnodice is known as the first physician or midwife, and can be credited with being the first gynecologist. She rebelled against the mandate that prevented women from studying, because her curiosity, her intelligence and her desire to help others, made her want to study medicine. With her father's support, she went to Alexandria to learn from the physician Herophilus. However, since the law forbade her to study, she had to transform her appearance and behavior to pass herself off as a man.

Having finished his studies, he returned to Athens, where he began to practice as a physician, while retaining his male appearance. His popularity among aristocratic women caused jealousy among Athenian physicians, who spread the rumor that he seduced and corrupted wives. The rumor even led to her being accused of rape. When taken to court, Agnodice decided to reveal that she was a woman, as a form of defense, which actually made matters worse, as she was breaking the law that prevented women from practicing medicine.

It was the defense of Athenian women that prevented her from facing the death penalty. It was also thanks to the pressure they exerted on their husbands, especially those women who were married to authority figures, that Agnodice managed to practice medicine in her female guise. The protest also caused the law to change a year later, allowing women to study and practice medicine, but only to treat women. This brought about a specialization of women who became midwives or gynecologists.

Fang (1st century B.C.)

China's first recorded scientist, she grew up in a scholarly family, skilled in alchemy. She studied alchemy with one of the wives of Emperor Han Wu Ti, which allowed her access to the privileged classes. She was credited with discovering the method for converting mercury into silver. It is believed that she may have used the technique of extracting silver from ores using mercury, where a residue of pure silver is left behind by boiling mercury. Her husband even physically abused her trying to obtain the secret procedure, which she refused to give him. 

In most of the cases described above, the information is unfortunately minimal because very little documentation has been preserved to this day. However, the important thing is to rescue the names and the contribution made by these women, as they opened the doors for the generations that followed them.

Future installments will review the history of women in other historical periods up to the present time.

 

Here is the second part Women in STEM: Ancient Age - Part II

Cristina Valverde

Software Engineer