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- Late 19th-century digs at Dahshur uncovered intact royal burial chambers including remains of King Hor and several princesses.
- A paper in Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology concludes the buried princesses were active users of weapons interred with them.
- Researchers combined osteological analysis, X-ray imaging, and FTIR spectroscopy to study embalming materials and bone markers.
- Princess Ita (age 24 to 28) had pronounced chest muscle attachments, suggesting habitual use of maces or blades.
- Princess Itaweret had healed ribs and foot fractures; co-author Zeinab Hashesh linked upper-limb development to repeated bowstring use.
The group also analyzed the remains of 2 young girls discovered at another website, Cerro Esmeralda, formerly believed to have actually died by strangulation. While they weren’t able to determine a precise reason of fatality because of the problem of the remains, the authors concluded that the marks on the two women’ necks were not constant with strangulation and were more likely triggered by fabrics, i.e., apparel. CT scans revealed that the hyoid bones were still undamaged with no proof of cracks and in their right physiological position.
Science Advances, 2026 DOI: 10 1126/ sciadv.adz 9055 ( Regarding DOIs
Old Egyptian princesses were proficient archers
Credit:
Zeinab Hashesh et al., 2026
Late 19 th century archaeologists excavated the Dahshur pyramid complex within the Memphis God’s Acre in Egypt and discovered a number of intact interment chambers containing the remains of King Hor and Princess Noub-Hotep, to name a few. This was soon followed by the excavation of 2 even more interments of Princess Ita and Princess Khenmet, and after that Princess Itaweret and Princess Sathathormeryt. A paper released in the journal Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology describes the most up to date complex re-assessment of those remains, wrapping up that the princesses were most likely proficient at making use of the weapons hidden with them.
The writers incorporated osteological analysis with X-ray imaging and count on FTIR spectroscopy to evaluate the embalming products. While the princesses’ heads had actually been shed, and several of the bones had actually not been maintained, the rest of the bones were in great condition. Princess Ita, they identified, passed away in between the ages of 24 and 28 and had strong upper-body muscle accessories, suggesting habitual use of maces or blades. Princess Khenmet was in her late 30 s or 40 s and also had solid ligament attachments. Princess Itaweret was in between 20 and 34, with recovered broken ribs and foot fractures, and her bones showed proof constant with being proficient at archery.
“We found pronounced advancement in the upper limbs of these people, which correlates to repeated, high-intensity actions like pulling a bowstring or supporting a weapon, verifying these activities were regular throughout their lives,” said co-author Zeinab Hashesh of the College of Beni-Suef in Egypt. “This directly describes the presence of bows, arrowheads, and maces in the ladies’s burial places; these were not simply symbolic presents but tools they proactively utilized.”
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