Ancient Egyptian warrior princesses' story revealed through skeletons

New research on skeletons discovered at Dahshur, Egypt, has revealed that royal women of ancient Egypt around 4,000 years ago were not merely palace ornaments but skilled archers and physically trained warriors.

Skeletons of five princesses and one king, long neglected in the basement of Cairo's Egyptian Museum, were reanalysed by researchers from Beni-Suef University. They found clear physical evidence in the arm, shoulder and hand bones showing the princesses had repeatedly drawn bows. Repeated pulling of the bow had caused one side of their bodies to become stronger than the other—a trait visible in their bones.

The research, published in Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology, was led by Dr Zeinab Hashish. She said the skeletal adaptations matched the weapons found in the tombs, proving that royal women actively participated in physical activities like archery and hunting.

The tombs were first discovered in 1894-95 by French archaeologist Jacques de Morgan, but the skeletons remained largely forgotten until 2020, when researchers found them in two wooden boxes in the museum basement. All skulls had been lost earlier to a Cairo medical museum.

The tombs contained bows, arrows, maces and jewel-studded knives, previously thought to be mere symbols of status. But the new research shows these were practical tools used in life.

Princess Nub-Khotept's hand and wrist bones showed repeated stress from holding a bow, with one palm bone slightly bent. Princess Itaweret's shoulder and chest muscle attachments showed similar changes, indicating she was a skilled archer. Princess Ita, aged 28-34, had strong upper body muscle attachments suggesting regular use of maces or knives. Princess Khenmet, in her late 30s or 40s, had thinner bones but robust ligament attachments.

The research also revealed that royal life was not free of hardship. The skeletons showed childhood malnutrition, metabolic stress, bone loss, chronic infections and multiple fractures. However, the fractures had healed perfectly, with no signs of infection or malformation, indicating an advanced medical system existed in ancient Egypt nearly 4,000 years ago.