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Evidence of ritual human sacrifice in ancient Egypt

Overview

Forensic analysis of human remains from Egypt’s First Dynasty has provided physical evidence of ritual human sacrifice. Dr. Roselyn Campbell of Purdue University re-examined 46 skulls originally excavated in the 1920s by Flinders Petrie at the Umm el-Qa’ab necropolis in Abydos.

While earlier archaeologists suspected that officials and servants were killed to accompany pharaohs into the afterlife, they lacked the tools to distinguish violent trauma from soil pressure. Campbell’s study, published in ‘Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology’, found that 18 of the 46 skulls showed signs of severe perimortem trauma, including linear fractures from blunt objects and a sharp-force wound near the eye. These injuries suggest the individuals may have been killed by blows to the head.

These findings support the theory of ‘retainer sacrifice,’ suggesting that individuals such as guards, artisans, and officials were killed upon a monarch's death to serve them in the afterlife or to display royal power. The researchers noted that these individuals may have been forced, chosen, or volunteered for the practice. While the findings support long-held suspicions, experts note that ritual killing cannot be definitively proven by skeletal remains alone.

Entities

Purdue University · Abydos · Flinders Petrie · University of Cambridge · Cambridge University

Timeline

  1. [CULTURE] 6 sources
    Forensic study confirms human sacrifice in Ancient Egypt

    Forensic analysis of Ancient Egyptian remains from Abydos suggests that servants were sacrificed to accompany monarchs into the afterlife, confirming long-held archaeological suspicions.

  2. [CULTURE] 25 sources
    Ancient Egypt: Forensic study suggests human sacrifice in First Dynasty

    Forensic analysis of 5,000-year-old skulls from Abydos suggests that human sacrifice was practiced during Egypt's First Dynasty to provide pharaohs with servants in the afterlife.

Sources

abc17news.com · archaeology.org · gargalianoionline.gr · gbnews.com · gizmodo.com · hna.de · kesq.com · keyt.com · kion546.com · komputerswiat.pl · koutipandoras.gr · krdo.com · kreiszeitung.de · kurierverlag.de · lat.sputnikportal.rs · localnews8.com · merkur-online.de · merkur.de · nos.nl · op-online.de · scientias.nl · sputnikportal.rs · srpskainfo.com · stoxos.gr · studyfinds.org · tech.wp.pl · todoalicante.es · tromaktiko.gr · ultimosegundo.ig.com.br · wmn.de · www4.mdr.de

This summary has been updated 1 time: see revision history