Discussions about human sacrifices following the death of the first pharaohs of Ancient Egypt have been brought to the agenda again with a new archaeological research.
Severe injuries detected on the skulls of people buried near the royal tombs indicated that some people may have died as a result of violence.
The research focused on the Umm el-Kaab royal cemetery near Abydos, one of Egypt's most important archaeological sites.
In the region, there are tombs and tomb complexes belonging to the rulers of the First Dynasty, dating back to approximately 3000 BC.
Around the royal tombs, there are also hundreds of smaller tombs where people thought to be connected to the palace are buried. It is stated that these people include women, seal bearers, auditors and craftsmen.
MARKS OF SERIOUS INJURY ON 18 OF 46 SKULLS
Archaeologist Roselyn Campbell from Purdue University in the USA re-examined 46 skulls belonging to people buried near the burial complexes of King Djer, King Djet and Queen Merneith.
In the analysis, traces of potentially fatal injuries and fractures were detected in 18 skulls. An injury was found on one skull, which may have been caused by a sharp or heavy object around the eye.
Researchers consider that some of the fractures may have occurred just before or during death.
The findings have brought the debate about human sacrifice in Ancient Egypt, which has been going on for more than a century, back to the agenda.
British Egyptologist Flinders Petrie, who carried out excavations in the tombs in the region in the 1920s, suggested that the people around the royal tombs might have been sacrificed after the death of the ruler.
However, Petrie could not detect clear signs of violence on the bones and considered the possibility that the people in question might have been buried alive.
Some researchers argued that these people died of natural causes and were later brought to Abydos to be buried near their deceased rulers.
POSSIBILITY OF VIOLENCE CLOSE TO THE MOMENT OF DEATH
The new study, published in the journal Frontiers in Environmental Archeology, found that some fractures may have occurred close to people's death rather than resulting from subsequent damage to the bones.
According to the researchers, the injuries do not appear to have been caused by war maces frequently depicted in Ancient Egyptian art.
Instead, it is considered that objects made of wood or horn with flat and large surfaces may have been used.
Campbell, who conducted the research, emphasized that it is not possible to conclude that everyone in the graves was sacrificed.
According to Campbell, while some people may have died as a result of violence, others may have died for different reasons.
The limited number of samples in the study also prevents reaching a definitive conclusion for all graves.
“SERVANT BURIALS” DISAPPEARED AFTER A SHORT TIME
Another striking factor in the research is that the practice known as "servant burials" did not continue for a long time.
This tradition is thought to have disappeared in the early Second Dynasty.
It is stated that in later periods, instead of real people, small human figures, which were believed to serve the deceased ruler in the afterlife, began to be used.
Egyptologist Salima Ikram from the American University in Cairo also stated that the theory of human sacrifice is not new, but the latest research is important in terms of examining human remains with modern scientific methods.
The researchers emphasize that the current findings do not prove that all royal circle burials in Ancient Egypt involved human sacrifice.
However, the results raise the possibility that at least some palace officials may have died as a result of violence following the death of their ruler.
