Egypt practiced human sacrifice, archaeological evidence suggests
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Archaeologists working with remains from ancient Egypt have found evidence that people were sacrificed to accompany rulers into the afterlife.
Roselyn Campbell of Purdue University analyzed skulls from a burial site in Abydos, Egypt, dating to around 3150 to 2925 BC, and discovered injuries consistent with violent trauma. The site, originally excavated by Flinders Petrie over a century ago, contains royal tombs and surrounding graves believed to be for accompanying officials and craftspeople.
Petrie had previously suspected the individuals buried in the accompanying graves may have been sacrificed, but lacked conclusive evidence. Campbell re-examined skulls Petrie had sent to the Duckworth Collection at the University of Cambridge, identifying signs of fatal blunt force trauma on 18 of the 46 skulls. She suggests some individuals may have volunteered for sacrifice to ensure their own eternal life or honor.
The study focused on group burials from the First Dynasty, revealing that 39 percent of the examined skulls showed signs of injury. Campbell’s findings confirm long-held beliefs about the practice of human sacrifice in ancient Egypt, offering new insight into burial rituals and beliefs about the afterlife.
