Ancient Egyptian Skulls Hint Early Royal Attendants Were Killed
A reexamination of 46 skulls from graves near Abydos found cranial injuries in 18 individuals. The researcher argues these linear fractures occurred around death and may indicate retainer sacrifice for early Egyptian rulers. The findings revive a suspicion first raised by Flinders Petrie after his 1920s excavations.
The Abydos royal burial grounds date to Egypt's First Dynasty, roughly 3000 BCE, when unified Egypt's earliest kings were interred. Hundreds of smaller subsidiary graves, some with coffins and ceramic grave goods, clustered around royal tombs and ritual enclosures.
Petrie's 1920s work left most remains reburied; he kept skulls, some reaching Cambridge's Duckworth Collection. Campbell examined 46 there. Eighteen showed perimortem linear fractures, and some also sharp-force damage. Such fractures can follow broad, flat impacts or falls, not necessarily mace blows.
The findings could affect how archaeologists, museums, and educators present early Egyptian royal culture, potentially shifting human sacrifice from footnote to central question. Museum visitors and students may encounter more nuanced explanations of Abydos burials. Ethical discussions about studying and displaying ancient human remains may also gain attention, while communities connected to Egypt's heritage could see renewed international interest in these early royal sites.