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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Science
Nicola Davis Science correspondent

Skull fractures suggest servants of Egypt’s ancient kings were sacrificed

Ancient Egyptian fresco from the Tomb of Ramose showing men in a funeral procession
A fresco depicting a funeral procession in ancient Egypt. Photograph: DEA/F Guenet/De Agostini/Getty Images

Court officials and craftspeople serving early Egyptian kings may have been sacrificed when their ruler died, according to research that found fractures in several ancient skulls.

The royal cemetery of Umm el-Qa’ab near Abydos features the tombs and enclosures of the First Dynasty rulers of Egypt, and dates as far back as 3,000BC.

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