Overview
- The reanalysis, published July 17, 2026, examined six Dahshur royal skeletons and found pronounced muscle‑attachment growth and healed fractures that the authors interpret as consistent with sustained archery and heavy‑weapon handling.
- Study authors link grave goods to anatomy, noting Princess Ita’s ornate dagger alongside hand and arm markers that they argue support functional use rather than only symbolic display.
- External specialists described the results as plausible but cautious, warning that similar osteological signatures can result from many repetitive tasks and urging comparisons with non‑elite remains.
- The research team will run stable‑isotope tests and broaden comparative sampling to clarify diet, health and activity and to separate weapon training from other explanations for the bone changes.
- The bones were excavated by Jacques de Morgan in 1894–95 and rediscovered in Egyptian Museum storage in 2020, a recovery that allowed modern bioarchaeological methods to prompt a reassessment of elite female roles in the Middle Kingdom.