For centuries, the image of the ancient Egyptian princess has been shaped by ideas of ceremony, beauty and royal privilege. But a new scientific study suggests that some princesses of the Middle Kingdom (2030–1650BC) were highly trained, physically capable women who may have mastered weapons such as bows and maces. Their story challenges the assumption that women in the ancient world were largely observers of power, rather than participants in it.

New scientific analysis published in Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology has shed light on the activities of these royal women. It has found evidence of a group of princesses who were practised archers.

While the skeletal markers could indicate practice in other activities, the inclusion of the archery equipment in particular strongly suggests they used it frequently. The findings highlight the need to revisit ideas of gender roles in the ancient world.

Far from being passive supporters of men as the leaders of ancient Egypt, women played a crucial role in all aspects of the development and continuity of the state. Some even ruled the country in their own right.

The scientific study focused on six royal mummies, discovered in the late 19th century at the site of Dahshur, a royal necropolis on the west bank of the Nile, about 30km south of Cairo. Of the group, four were daughters of King Amenemhat II (19th century BC). Only four names belonging to the women have been recovered from the burial: Ita, Itaweret, Sathathormeryt and Khenmet. The sixth........

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