For years, archaeologists have debated why some ancient Egyptian princesses were buried with weapons. The bows, arrows, daggers, and maces found in their tombs were often interpreted as ceremonial objects rather than equipment the women had actually used. A new examination of royal mummies from Egypt’s Middle Kingdom now suggests that at least some of these women were physically trained to handle such weapons.
“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, 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.”
Royal Mummies Rediscovered at Dahshur
The research focused on six royal mummies originally uncovered during the 1890s at Dahshur, an Egyptian burial complex containing pyramids and shaft tombs. The remains later disappeared from scholarly attention for many years before being identified again in the Egyptian Museum during a curation project in 2020.
Four of the six individuals were sisters and daughters of the pharaoh Amenemhat II. They had been placed in matching underground burial chambers. Princess Ita was buried beside Princess Khenmet, while Princess Itaweret was interred alongside an unidentified woman who has tentatively been identified as Princess Sathathormeryt.
Their tombs contained objects more commonly associated with male burials, including bows and arrows. Princess Ita’s coffin also held an especially ornate dagger. Similar royal objects were found with the two other individuals included in the investigation, Princess Noub-Hotep and King Hor.
All six bodies had been carefully mummified, but preservation was incomplete. Their soft tissues had deteriorated into powder, while portions of the skeletons were also missing. The princesses’ skulls, for example, were lost during the early 1900s.
Even so, enough skeletal material survived in good condition for researchers to estimate age at death, height, and sex. The bones also provided evidence of past injuries, illnesses, and other aspects of the individuals’ health.
Bones Reveal Archery and Weapon Use
“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 sisters’ skeletons contained unusually robust muscle attachments, indicating that they regularly performed strenuous physical activities. Those patterns closely match the movements required to use the weapons placed in their graves. Comparable skeletal evidence also suggests that Princess Noub-Hotep and King Hor practiced archery.
“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.”
The findings suggest that repeated weapon use was part of these royals’ lives rather than an occasional activity. Their physical development points to long-term practice involving demanding movements such as drawing a bowstring or controlling a weapon.
Injuries Point to Physically Demanding Lives
Several of the individuals also showed evidence of trauma, infections, and nutritional deficiencies. Princess Itaweret had suffered broken ribs, probably caused by a blow or a fall from a height, as well as fractures in her feet.
The sisters shared rare abnormalities in their spines as well. Researchers say this pattern indicates that their parents and the broader royal 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.”
The fact that these injuries healed successfully provides another clue about royal life. Despite experiencing significant physical trauma, the princesses appear to have received medical treatment that allowed them to recover.
Reconstructing the Lives of Egypt’s Royal Women
There are still important limits to what researchers can learn from the remains. The loss of the princesses’ skulls restricts the kinds of analyses that can be performed, and the team has not yet completed every type of investigation it hopes to conduct.
One planned approach is stable isotope analysis, which could provide additional information about diet and help researchers better understand evidence of 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.”
