This article is from Ancient Egypt issue 148
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Research from Leiden University in the Netherlands has revealed that pyramid burials may not have been exclusively for the elite. The pyramid burials of ancient Egyptians at the site of ancient Tombos in northern Nubia, near the Third Cataract, were found to include high-status individuals and others clearly from lower social classes, whose skeletons reflected a life of hard physical labour. The research by Sarah Schrader, published in the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, suggests that pyramids may have honoured individuals of varying social standings, reflecting a more complex and inclusive funerary tradition.
Text: Sarah Griffiths
