Ancient Egyptian princesses were buried with weapons. Their bones reveal why

For years, archaeologists have debated why some ancient Egyptian princesses were buried with weapons. The bows, arrows, daggers, and maces found in their tombs were often interpreted as ceremonial objects rather than equipment the women had actually used. A new examination of royal mummies from Egypt's Middle Kingdom now suggests that at least some of these women were physically trained to handle such weapons.

"Members of the royal family, especially the women, were active participants in skilled, physically demanding activities such as archery and hunting," said Dr. Zeinab Hashesh, lead author of the article in Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology . "This conclusion is supported by the way their bones developed to sustain heavy muscle use, which corresponds directly to the weapons discovered in their tombs."