The lives of princesses in ancient Egypt are often described as luxurious and sheltered, surrounded by servants in sprawling palaces. A new look at the burial chambers of some ancient Egyptian princesses, however, reveals that they also took part in skilled physical activity and knew their way around weapons.
A team of researchers studied six royal women’s mummies from the Middle Kingdom, some of whom were buried with items like bows and arrows—items traditionally associated with men. Scientists have long debated whether weapons found in the graves of ancient Egyptian princesses were ceremonial or functional. In other words, did the princesses use the weapons they were buried with?
By analyzing their bones, the researchers found that the princesses were highly physically active in ways consistent with using the weapons buried alongside them. The findings are detailed in a study published today in Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology.
Not your average princess
The mummies were originally found in the 1890s at Dahshur, a pyramid complex located southwest of Cairo. They were later rediscovered in 2020 during a curation project for the Egyptian museum after having been lost for years.
Four of the six women were sisters: Princess Ita, Princess Khenmet, Princess Itaweret, and an anonymous woman provisionally identified as Princess Sathathormeryt; all were daughters of the pharaoh Amenemhat II.
The four princesses were buried in matching underground chambers, which contained items like bows and arrows. A particularly striking dagger was buried alongside Princess Ita. The two other mummies belonged to Princess Noub-Hotep and King Hor, who were also buried with similar items.
Archaeologists analyzed their bones to determine their age, height, and sex, as well as any illnesses or injuries. The sisters’ remains indicated robust muscle attachment, revealing that the women were rather vigorous, likely engaging in activities associated with the weapons found in their graves.
“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,” Zeinab Hashesh, a professor at Beni Suef University and lead author of the study, said in a statement. “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.”
Work hard, train harder
Princess Ita showed strong upper-body muscle attachment, suggesting she used weapons like maces or daggers, according to the study. The skeleton of Princess Itaweret revealed that she was a skilled archer who had survived broken ribs and foot fractures, while Princess Khenmet had robust ligament attachments.
“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.
The mummies of Princess Noub-Hotep and King Hor showed similar evidence that they were archers. The findings suggest that members of the royal family actively took part in physically demanding activities such as archery and hunting, as reflected in the way their bones developed to support heavy muscle use.
The researchers behind the study are hoping to go beyond simply identifying the royal women and help reconstruct their full life stories.
“Their objects and jewelry are truly fascinating, breathtaking in their craftsmanship,” Hashesh said. “Yet, while archaeologists have long focused on preserving these treasures, the people themselves were often forgotten. Our study seeks to change that.”
