Princesses in Ancient Egypt Weren’t Just Royalty—They Were Trained Archers

Human History Princesses in Ancient Egypt Weren’t Just Royalty—They Were Trained Archers The weapons buried with royal women weren't just for show, new research suggests. 17, 2026, am ET Reading time 3 minutes The dagger buried with Princess Ita. Image: Sameh Abdel Mohsen Read Later Read Later Comments (1) The lives of princesses in ancient Egypt are often described as luxurious and sheltered, surrounded . 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? , 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 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.