#AncientEgyptian princesses were ‘powerful’ weapon users, new analysis suggests These findings challenge a long-held belief about weapons found in female burial sites By Jackie Flynn Mogensen, July 17, 2026 Excerpt: " 'We wanted to see if the skeletons themselves supported the presence of the weapons found beside them,' [#ZeinabHashesh] says. "By looking at the princesses’ internal bone structure and muscle attachment sites, as well as by analyzing chemical signatures left on the remains, Hashesh and her team began to piece together a picture of what the princesses’ daily lives and burials may have looked like. " 'Our big takeaway is that these women were ‘active ritual agents’ whose lives involved disciplined physical strength,' she says, participating in activities that possibly included archery or the use of daggers. "In Princess Ita’s case, her muscle attachments 'strongly reflect the habitual gripping of weapons like daggers or maces,' Hashesh says. "Even more clear was Princess Noub-Hotep, whose skeleton, she says, 'provides the most definitive evidence for the 'archer’s grip,' including 'a unique bowing' of a hand bone, a feature that Hashesh sees as evidence of having to drawing a bow. "Meanwhile, she adds, Princess Itaweret appeared to have survived 'significant trauma” to her ribs and feet bones, 'indicating a high-risk, active lifestyle.' " Read more: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ancient-egyptian-princesses-were-powerful-weapon-users-new-analysis-suggests/ Archived version: https://archive.ph/R4QEx #AncientEgypt #AncientWomen #WarriorWomen #AncientHistory #FeatsOfStrength