Royal Dahshur Princesses Revealed as Skilled Archers 4,000 Years Ago
A reanalysis of six royal skeletons from Dahshur (late Middle Kingdom, 1850–1700 BCE) finds strong muscle attachments and healed injuries in several princesses, consistent with repeated archery and weapon use. The evidence suggests archery was part of elite royal training rather than merely ceremonial, with signs of good health, medical care, and interrelated royal kinship shaping their lives.