Innovation No. 6 of 77 in the book
The Pregnancy Test
Sprouting grains used to predict pregnancy
- When
- c. 1300 BCE
- Dynasty
- 18th Dynasty
- Era
- New Kingdom
Around 1300 BCE, a New Kingdom papyrus lays out a pregnancy test: a woman waters two bags of grain, barley and wheat, with her urine for several days. If the grain sprouts, she is pregnant.
The startling part — it half works. When scientists tried it in 1963, the urine of pregnant women really did trigger growth far more often than not, thanks to elevated hormones.
The same test claimed to guess the baby’s sex from which grain grew first. That part is folklore. But the pregnancy detection was real, and it is the first one known.
The world’s first pregnancy test grew in a bag of Egyptian barley.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the earliest archaeological evidence for the pregnancy test in ancient Egypt?
The earliest confirmed evidence dates to approximately 1300 BCE during Egypt's New Kingdom (18th Dynasty). Around 1300 BCE, a New Kingdom papyrus lays out a pregnancy test: a woman waters two bags of grain, barley and wheat, with her urine for several days. If the grain sprouts, she is pregnant.
How did ancient Egyptians develop the pregnancy test, and what is its legacy?
The startling part — it half works. When scientists tried it in 1963, the urine of pregnant women really did trigger growth far more often than not, thanks to elevated hormones. The startling part — it half works. When scientists tried it in 1963, the urine of pregnant women really did trigger growth far more often than not, thanks to elevated hormones. The world’s first pregnancy test grew in a bag of Egyptian barley.