Ancient Egyptians Had Accurate Pregnancy Tests
By celticeagle
@celticeagle (189792)
Boise, Idaho
May 20, 2026 6:55pm CST
One of my hobbies is researching life and people of the early Egyptian civilization. It is so interesting. Here is just one more thing I have found:
Down through history women's reproductive health has gone through many advancements. But pregnancy tests remained rather primitive. The Egyptians used a urine sample to test for pregnancy. The actual details were found on a papyrus scroll that was dated around 1350 BCE. Woman were advised to urinate on bags that contained barley or wheat. If the grains sprouted, according to this theory, it would indicate pregnancy. In 1963 a study done following this method successfully diagnosed pregnancy in 70% of the mother's.
Ancient Egyptians were so smart and this is just one out of a myriad of things they came up with.
3 people like this
3 responses
@Ineeddentures (33873)
•
21 May
Well the ancient Egyptians were well ahead of their time in many areas.
So this does not surprise me at all that they could a curately test for pregnancy.
I'm guessing that much like now women would have a good idea anyway when they started missing their period.
2 people like this
@celticeagle (189792)
• Boise, Idaho
21 May
Yes, they were. Yes, I'm sure the just needed to know for sure.
2 people like this
@Ineeddentures (33873)
•
21 May
@celticeagle
I think they would know after two monthly cycles hadn't happened
That's what Yvonne said
2 people like this
@celticeagle (189792)
• Boise, Idaho
24 May
@Ineeddentures......what if they didn't know about the cycles?
2 people like this

@LindaOHio (222288)
• United States
21 May
Fascinating. And now we have home pregnancy tests.
2 people like this





