Dahshur Princesses Were Weapon-Wielding Athletes, Study Finds

New analysis of 4,000-year-old Dahshur mummies shows Princess Ita, Khenmet, Itaweret and peers were active weapon-users rather than decorative figures. Skeletal evidence reveals robust upper-limb muscles and injuries consistent with archery, hunting and weapon use (daggers, bows, maces), supporting their role as trained athletes with ritual importance in the afterlife. The study, published in Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology (2026), revisits century-old remains to restore a voice to these royal women.