News release

From: Frontiers

Ancient Egyptian princesses born 4,000 years ago were skilled archers, new study shows 

Strong muscle attachments and healed fractures show that royal women could use the weapons they were buried with — but also that high status didn’t prevent hardship

The 2020 rediscovery of six mummies, previously thought lost, allowed scientists to re-evaluate the remains of five princesses — four sisters, Khenmet, Itaweret, Ita, and Sathathormeryt, and Princess Noub-Hotep — and King Hor. These royal women were buried with weapons like bows, arrows, and daggers, but without a modern bioarchaeological assessment scientists couldn’t be sure if these were ceremonial or if the princesses could use them. Researchers identified pronounced muscle attachments on the princesses’ bones, consistent with training and developing the muscles for archery, as well as signs of well-cared-for physical trauma. But they also found evidence of persistent infection and possible malnutrition, an indication that royal status couldn’t protect the princesses from everything.

For decades, scientists have disputed the meaning of the weapons found in the burial chambers of some ancient Egyptian princesses. Were they symbolic or practical tools? Now a reassessment of five royal women’s mummies from the Middle Kingdom has shown that some princesses buried with weapons could use them.

“Members of the royal family, especially the women, were active participants in skilled, physically demanding activities such as archery and hunting,” said Dr Zeinab Hashesh of Beni-Suef University, lead author of the article in Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology. “This conclusion is supported by the way their bones developed to sustain heavy muscle use, which corresponds directly to the weapons discovered in their tombs.”

Rediscovered skeletons 

The researchers studied six royal mummies found at Dahshur, a funerary complex of pyramids and shaft tombs, in the 1890s. These mummies had been lost for years, and were rediscovered in the Egyptian Museum during a curation project in 2020.

Four of the six were sisters, daughters of the pharaoh Amenemhat II, buried in matching underground chambers: Princess Ita next to Princess Khenmet, and Princess Itaweret alongside an anonymous woman provisionally identified as Princess Sathathormeryt. They were buried with items like bows and arrows which are traditionally associated with men; Princess Ita’s coffin contained a particularly beautiful dagger. Similar regalia was buried with the other two royals evaluated: Princess Noub-Hotep and King Hor.

Although all six had been carefully mummified, the soft tissue had turned into powder, and some of the bones weren’t preserved. Unfortunately, this includes the princesses’ skulls, which were lost in the early 1900s. However, the remaining bones were in good condition, which allowed the archaeologists to estimate individuals’ age at death, height, and sex, as well as to uncover evidence of illnesses or injuries.

“Princess Ita was a young woman aged between 28 and 34 with strong upper-body muscle attachments, suggesting she habitually used weapons like maces or daggers,” said Hashesh. “Princess Khenmet was a woman in her late 30s or 40s who showed signs of thinning bones, but had very robust ligament attachments. Princess Itaweret was a young woman aged between 20 and 34 who survived broken ribs and foot fractures; her skeleton shows she was a skilled archer.”

The robust muscle attachments on the sisters’ bones indicate that they were highly physically active in ways that align with the use of the weapons in their burials. Similar evidence shows that Princess Noub-Hotep and King Hor were also archers.

“We found pronounced development in the upper limbs of these individuals, which correlates to repetitive, high-intensity actions like pulling a bowstring or stabilizing a weapon, proving these activities were habitual throughout their lives,” explained Hashesh. “This directly explains the presence of bows, arrows, and maces in the women’s tombs; these were not just symbolic gifts but tools they actively used.”

Injuries, like Princess Itaweret’s broken ribs — probably caused by a blow or a fall from a height — were common, while several individuals had infections and nutritional deficiencies. The sisters also shared rare spinal abnormalities, which indicates that their parents and wider family were closely related.

“These injuries were most likely caused by accidents, falls, hard blows, or other impacts linked to an active lifestyle, whether through hunting, military training, or other demanding activities,” said Hashesh. “What is remarkable is that the injuries healed well, which suggests they had access to advanced medical care for their time.”

Uncovering life stories 

However, the archaeologists point out that the loss of the princesses’ skulls limits their analyses. They also haven’t yet been able to carry out all the analyses they intend to – for example, stable isotope analysis, which could shed more light on possible nutritional deficiencies.

“Our dream would be to go far beyond simply identifying the Dahshur royals,” said Hashesh. “We would try to tell their full life stories, their families, health, and even their political roles, with as much detail as possible. Beyond the science, we would preserve the remains, create 3D prints for teaching and virtual exhibitions, and display them alongside their jewelry, weapons, and funerary objects. All of this would be done with respect, ensuring the remains are presented ethically, just as they were originally buried.

“Their objects and jewelry are truly fascinating, breathtaking in their craftsmanship. Yet, while archaeologists have long focused on preserving these treasures, the people themselves were often forgotten. Our study seeks to change that.”