Researchers examining human remains from the royal cemetery of Umm el-Qa’ab near Abydos have found evidence suggesting that retainers and court officials associated with early Egyptian kings may have been sacrificed upon their rulers’ deaths. The burial site, dating back approximately 3,000 years, contains the tombs and enclosures of First Dynasty rulers alongside graves believed to belong to members of royal households, including administrators, craftspeople, and other officials.
Dr. Roselyn Campbell of Purdue University conducted a study of 46 skulls from retainers buried near the funerary enclosures of three rulers: King Djer, King Djet, and Queen Merneith. Her analysis, published in Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology, identified potentially lethal trauma on 18 of the skulls examined, including fractures and a chopping injury. Campbell suggests these injuries were likely inflicted by flat, wide implements made of wood or antler rather than the maces depicted in ancient Egyptian artwork.
The retainer burials at Umm el-Qa’ab were initially excavated in the 1920s by Egyptologist Flinders Petrie, who proposed they represented instances of human sacrifice. However, Petrie found no trauma evidence on the remains, leading other scholars to suggest the retainers died naturally and were reburied when their ruler was interred. Campbell’s findings indicate Petrie may have observed the skull fractures but did not recognize them as injuries sustained around the time of death rather than subsequent damage.
The practice of retainer sacrifice appears to have been limited in scope and duration. Early First Dynasty ruler Aha had few subsidiary burials, while his successors included hundreds of such graves. The practice ceased by the Second Dynasty and was eventually replaced by funerary statues. Scholars note the ritual’s nature remains partially unclear, with uncertainty about whether all buried retainers were sacrificed or whether participation was voluntary or coerced.
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