Researchers who examined six royal mummies from Egypt's Middle Kingdom have concluded that female members of the royal family may have been trained to use weapons during their lifetimes, according to a study published in the journal Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology in July 2026. Several bioarchaeologists not involved in the research have challenged the findings, arguing the skeletal evidence does not reliably support that specific conclusion.
Study claims ancient Egyptian princesses may have used weapons; critics question evidence
Researchers who examined six royal mummies from Egypt's Middle Kingdom have concluded that female members of the royal family may have been trained to use weapons during their lifetimes, according to a study published in the journal Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology in July 2026. Several bioarchaeologists not involved in the research have challenged the findings, arguing the skeletal evidence does not reliably support that specific conclusion.
The mummies were found at the Dahshur funerary complex in the 1890s and date to nearly 4,000 years ago. Four of the six are believed to be daughters of Pharaoh Amenemhat II. The mummies were rediscovered in 2020 in the Egyptian Museum after being lost for decades.
Lead author Dr. Zeinab Hashesh said the team analyzed muscle attachment sites on the mummies' upper limbs and found pronounced areas indicating 'repetitive, high-intensity actions like pulling a bowstring or stabilizing a weapon.' Hashesh described the individuals by name: Princess Ita, aged between 28 and 34, had strong upper-body muscle attachments; Princess Khenmet, in her late 30s or 40s, showed signs of thinning bones but very robust ligament attachments; and Princess Itaweret, aged between 20 and 34, survived broken ribs and foot fractures and, according to the researchers, showed signs of being a skilled archer.
Princess Ita, Princess Khenmet, Princess Itaweret, and an anonymous woman provisionally identified as Princess Sathathormeryt were all buried with bows and arrows. Ita's coffin also held a dagger. The two remaining mummies, Princess Noub-Hotep and King Hor, were buried with similar items.
Hashesh said the skeletal findings explain the presence of weapons in the burial chambers, which are traditionally associated with men.
- The source does not state the full list of authors beyond the lead author, Dr. Zeinab Hashesh, nor their institutional affiliations.
- The source does not state the sample size or methodology used to determine the ages of the individual mummies.
- The source does not state whether the study was peer-reviewed prior to publication or describe the journal's review process.
- The source does not state which institution or team conducted the rediscovery of the mummies in the Egyptian Museum in 2020.
- The source does not state the basis on which the anonymous woman was provisionally identified as Princess Sathathormeryt.
- The source does not state whether the study's authors responded to the specific criticisms raised by the independent experts.
Read the original at The Jerusalem Post