The article discusses a study on the physical toll scribes in ancient Egypt faced due to their repetitive tasks and postures while working. The study found that the skeletons of scribes showed a higher incidence of conditions such as osteoarthritis, particularly in the joints connecting the lower jaw to the skull, the right collarbone, shoulder, thumb, knee, and spine. The study also suggests that the scribes' writing posture and the tools they used could have contributed to these degenerative changes. The scribes, who were considered to be of higher social rank, were compared to non-scribes from the same time period, and the researchers found that the scribes had more skeletal issues. The study indicates that the physical toll was likely due to the specific postures and repetitive tasks the scribes engaged in, such as writing in hieratic script and using pens made from Egyptian rush. The study's lead author, Petra Brukner Havelkova, suggests that the scribes may have also suffered from headaches and dislocated jaws due to their work. The article concludes by highlighting the physical toll of being a writer, referencing Herman Melville's character Bartleby the Scrivener. This study sheds light on the occupational hazards faced by ancient scribes and offers insights into the physical toll of their work, providing a method and initial results that researchers can build upon in the future.