Court officials and craftspeople serving early Egyptian kings may have been sacrificed upon their ruler's death, according to new research. The study, which examined fractures in several ancient skulls, appears to confirm a theory put forward by an early Egyptologist.
The royal cemetery of Umm el-Qa’ab, near Abydos, contains tombs and enclosures of Egypt's First Dynasty rulers, dating back to 3,000BC. Graves surrounding these royal structures are thought to belong to individuals associated with the royal households, including ladies, seal-bearers, inspectors, and artisans.
Dr Roselyn Campbell, author of the study from Purdue University, re-examined 46 skulls from retainers' graves surrounding the funerary enclosures of King Djer, King Djet, and Queen Merneith. The graves were originally excavated in the 1920s by Flinders Petrie, who believed them to be evidence of human sacrifice.
Campbell reports that 18 of the skulls showed signs of potentially lethal trauma, such as fractures, and one case included a chopping injury to the eye. These injuries are thought to have occurred around the time of death and are more likely to have been caused by flat, wide objects made of wood or antler, rather than maces.
The number of subsidiary graves decreased rapidly and seems to have disappeared by the beginning of the Second Dynasty. While the study involved a small sample size, experts note it uses rigorous methodologies to evaluate the remains.