Disturbing Ancient Egyptian graves reveal brutal treatment of corpses 5,000 years ago including shock teen girl's burial
The discovery offers a rare insight into the spiritual life of villagers more than 5,000 years ago - and may even mark the beginning of religion for the ancient pharaohs.
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Researchers found the remains of a teenage girl whose arm had been deliberately severed after her death and positioned to match her left arm.
The girl's left arm was bent unnaturally in a more than 90-degree angle and tucked in very tightly.
The limb was removed near the lower part of the upper arm and forearm, possibly done using an axe.
The muscles were most likely sliced with a flint blade, according to researchers.
Her severed arm was carefully arranged to appear almost intact, with the hand placed beside the forearm.
Buried in the Adaiima cemetery on the west bank of the Nile river, the remains date back to between 3300 to 2700 BC.
The girl's body was carefully aligned with the setting sun on the winter solstice, while her coffin also pointed towards the rising of Sirius, the brightest star in the sky.
Celestial alignments, and other symbolic gestures, likely influenced the religious traditions later embraced by Egypt's first pharaohs who emerged between 100 and 400 years later.
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Her burial may also be the earliest sign of the Osiris and Isis myth - where the goddess Isis reassembles the dismembered body of Osiris beneath the rising Sirius.
The tale is thought to symbolise death, rebirth, and cosmic order.
Ancient Egyptian Tombs: Over a Thousand Mummies Unveiled
The cemetery in which her remains were found is one of Egypt's oldest and most thoroughly studied, and paints a detailed picture about how funerary practices changed over time.
Using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, researchers analysed patterns among more than 900 tombs across the 74-acre Adaiima site.
Another coffin that was positioned to catch the winter sun contained a woman buried with ornate jewelry and pottery.
A third grave, also belonging to a woman, faced the summer sunset and contained a ceremonial staff and plant-fiber wig.
The study suggests these early burials shaped the mythology later adopted by Egypt's ruling elite - from their sky-based alignments to their ritual gestures, such as dismemberment.
Older graves were placed around earlier, astronomically aligned tombs, suggesting those burials continued to hold religious or ancestral significance over the years.
Ivory boat models and fine coffins were found with remains that researchers believed once belonged to individuals of higher status or spiritual importance.
Similar to the dismemberment, a singular bone belonging to a child was found placed on the chest of an adult in a later tomb.
In the myth of Osiris, Isis gathers the scattered body parts of her murdered husband after he is slain by his jealous brother, Set.
"Sepdet, which we know as Sirius, was believed to be the appearance of Isis in the sky," the study said.
"When the state emerged, it did not create religion from scratch.
"It absorbed long-standing practices and reworked them into royal narratives."
3
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Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
Disturbing Ancient Egyptian graves reveal brutal treatment of corpses 5,000 years ago including shock teen girl's burial
The girl's body was carefully aligned with the setting sun on the winter solstice, while her coffin also pointed towards the rising of Sirius, the brightest star in the sky Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ARCHAEOLOGISTS have uncovered a disturbing Ancient Egyptian burial practice that saw people dismembered before being put to rest. The discovery offers a rare insight into the spiritual life of villagers more than 5,000 years ago - and may even mark the beginning of religion for the ancient pharaohs. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, researchers analysed patterns among more than 900 tombs across the 74-acre Adaiima site Credit: Alcouffe, A., Duchesne, S., Tupikova, I. et al./ Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory Researchers found the remains of a teenage girl whose arm had been deliberately severed after her death and positioned to match her left arm. The girl's left arm was bent unnaturally in a more than 90degree angle and tucked in very tightly. The limb was removed near the lower part of the upper arm and forearm, possibly done using an axe. The muscles were most likely sliced with a flint blade, according to researchers. Her severed arm was carefully arranged to appear almost intact, with the hand placed beside the forearm. Buried in the Adaiima cemetery on the west bank of the Nile river, the remains date back to between 3300 to 2700 BC. The girl's body was carefully aligned with the setting sun on the winter solstice, while her coffin also pointed towards the rising of Sirius, the brightest star in the sky. Celestial alignments, and other symbolic gestures, likely influenced the religious traditions later embraced by Egypt's first pharaohs who emerged between 100 and 400 years later. 3 Buried in the Adaiima cemetery on the west bank of the Nile river, the remains date back to between 3300 to 2700 BC Credit: Getty Her burial may also be the earliest sign of the Osiris and Isis myth - where the goddess Isis reassembles the dismembered body of Osiris beneath the rising Sirius. The tale is thought to symbolise death, rebirth, and cosmic order. Ancient Egyptian Tombs: Over a Thousand Mummies Unveiled The cemetery her remains were found in is one of Egypt's oldest and most thoroughly studied, and paints a detailed picture about how funerary practices changed over time. Using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, researchers analysed patterns among more than 900 tombs across the 74-acre Adaiima site. Another coffin that was positioned to catch the winter sun contained a woman buried with ornate jewelry and pottery. A third grave, also belonging to a woman, faced the summer sunset and contained a ceremonial staff and plant-fiber wig. The study suggests these early burials shaped the mythology later adopted by Egypt's ruling elite - from their sky-based alignments to their ritual gestures, such as dismemberment. Older graves were placed around earlier, astronomically-aligned tombs, suggesting those burials held continued to hold religious or ancestral significance over the years. Ivory boat models and fine coffins were found with remains researchers believed once belonged to individuals of higher status or spiritual importance. Similar to the dismemberment, a singular bone belonging to a child was found placed on the chest of an adult in a later tomb. In the myth of Osiris, Isis gathers the scattered body parts of her murdered husband after he is slain by his jealous brother, Set. "Sepdet, which we know as Sirius, was believed to be the appearance of Isis in the sky," the study said. "When the state emerged, it did not create religion from scratch. "It absorbed long-standing practices and reworked them into royal narratives."
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Disturbing Ancient Egyptian graves reveal brutal treatment of corpses 5,000 years ago including shock teen girl's burial
ARCHAEOLOGISTS have uncovered a disturbing Ancient Egyptian burial practice that saw people dismembered before being put to rest. The discovery offers a rare insight into the spiritual life of villagers more than 5,000 years ago - and may even mark the beginning of religion for the ancient pharaohs. 3 Researchers found the remains of a teenage girl whose arm had been deliberately severed after her death and positioned to match her left arm. The girl's left arm was bent unnaturally in a more than 90-degree angle and tucked in very tightly. The limb was removed near the lower part of the upper arm and forearm, possibly done using an axe. The muscles were most likely sliced with a flint blade, according to researchers. Her severed arm was carefully arranged to appear almost intact, with the hand placed beside the forearm. Buried in the Adaiima cemetery on the west bank of the Nile river, the remains date back to between 3300 to 2700 BC. The girl's body was carefully aligned with the setting sun on the winter solstice, while her coffin also pointed towards the rising of Sirius, the brightest star in the sky. Celestial alignments, and other symbolic gestures, likely influenced the religious traditions later embraced by Egypt's first pharaohs who emerged between 100 and 400 years later. 3 Her burial may also be the earliest sign of the Osiris and Isis myth - where the goddess Isis reassembles the dismembered body of Osiris beneath the rising Sirius. The tale is thought to symbolise death, rebirth, and cosmic order. Ancient Egyptian Tombs: Over a Thousand Mummies Unveiled The cemetery in which her remains were found is one of Egypt's oldest and most thoroughly studied, and paints a detailed picture about how funerary practices changed over time. Using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, researchers analysed patterns among more than 900 tombs across the 74-acre Adaiima site. Another coffin that was positioned to catch the winter sun contained a woman buried with ornate jewelry and pottery. A third grave, also belonging to a woman, faced the summer sunset and contained a ceremonial staff and plant-fiber wig. The study suggests these early burials shaped the mythology later adopted by Egypt's ruling elite - from their sky-based alignments to their ritual gestures, such as dismemberment. Older graves were placed around earlier, astronomically aligned tombs, suggesting those burials continued to hold religious or ancestral significance over the years. Ivory boat models and fine coffins were found with remains that researchers believed once belonged to individuals of higher status or spiritual importance. Similar to the dismemberment, a singular bone belonging to a child was found placed on the chest of an adult in a later tomb. In the myth of Osiris, Isis gathers the scattered body parts of her murdered husband after he is slain by his jealous brother, Set. "Sepdet, which we know as Sirius, was believed to be the appearance of Isis in the sky," the study said. "When the state emerged, it did not create religion from scratch. "It absorbed long-standing practices and reworked them into royal narratives." 3
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Shocking Ancient Egypt burial reveals unthinkable acts carried out on corpses after death
Archaeologists have uncovered disturbing burial practices of ancient Egyptians, offering rare insight into the spiritual life of villagers more than 5,000 years ago. Among the most striking discoveries was the body of a teenage girl buried in the Adaiima cemetery near the Nile River, dating back to 3300 to 2700BC. Her arm had been deliberately severed post-mortem near the lower part of the upper arm and forearm, possibly done using an axe, and the muscles were likely sliced with a flint blade. Those who prepared her body carefully arranged the severed pieces to appear almost intact, placing the hand beside the forearm. Archaeologists said that it seemed the goal was to make the cut-off right arm match the unusual position of her left arm, which was bent sharply, more than a right angle, and tucked in very tightly. The girl's body was also carefully aligned with the setting sun on the winter solstice, and her coffin pointed toward the rising of Sirius, the brightest star in the sky. Experts suggest her burial may be the earliest sign of the Osiris and Isis myth, in which the goddess Isis reassembles the dismembered body of Osiris beneath the rising Sirius, symbolizing death, rebirth, and cosmic order. According to the study, these early star-based alignments and symbolic gestures likely influenced the religious traditions later embraced by Egypt's first pharaohs, who emerged roughly 100 to 400 years later. Researchers used AI and machine learning to analyze patterns among more than 900 tombs in the 74-acre Adaïma site, one of Egypt's oldest and most thoroughly studied cemeteries. Their findings revealed long-term cultural shifts in funerary customs, including the gradual emergence of social hierarchies and spiritual symbolism. Another woman was found buried nearby with ornate jewelry and pottery, her coffin positioned to capture the winter sun. A third grave held a woman with a ceremonial staff and plant-fiber wig, facing the summer sunset. These early sky-based alignments and ritual gestures appear to have shaped the mythology later adopted by Egypt's ruling elite, according to the study. Later graves were often clustered around earlier, astronomically-aligned tombs, suggesting those burials held enduring religious or ancestral significance. Some included ivory boat models and fine coffins, likely marking individuals of higher status or spiritual importance. One child's bone was found placed on an adult's chest, while a woman was buried with a bracelet fragment in her hand, actions interpreted as deliberate expressions of spiritual beliefs and afterlife connections. In the myth of Osiris, Isis gathers the scattered body parts of her murdered husband after he is slain by his jealous brother, Set. Using magic, she brings him back to life briefly to conceive their son Horus. The tale, symbolizing resurrection, was closely tied to the annual Nile flood and cycles of renewal. According to another study on ancient Egyptian astronomy, 'The Nile flood was caused by the tears that Isis shed, after his brother Seth murdered her husband Osiris.' 'Sepdet, which we know as Sirius, was believed to be the appearance of Isis in the sky,' the study stated. These early rural burial practices, including cut limbs and celestial alignment, appear to have laid the foundation for Egypt's later religious and mythological traditions. 'When the state emerged, it did not create religion from scratch,' the researchers wrote. 'It absorbed long-standing practices and reworked them into royal narratives.'
