Overview
- The peer-reviewed study published Friday analyzes six royal skeletons rediscovered at the Egyptian Museum in 2020 and reports bone and X-ray signs consistent with habitual archery and weapon handling.
- Researchers found pronounced upper-limb muscle attachments on several princesses that match actions like drawing a bow or stabilizing a dagger or mace, supporting the idea that the weapons in their tombs were practical tools.
- The team also documented healed fractures, infections, and rare spinal anomalies that show active lifestyles, access to medical care, and close kin relationships among the buried women.
- Analysis is limited because most skulls were separated in the early 1900s and later lost and because the study lacks large local comparative groups, a point raised by outside bioarchaeologists who say other causes could produce similar bone changes.
- Authors plan further tests such as stable isotope analysis and are weighing ethical conservation and display options to preserve the remains while seeking clearer evidence about diet, provenance and life histories.