Preliminary assessment of human remains from the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el Bahari

Abstract

Excavations over the course of many seasons by the Polish-Egyptian Mission in the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari have revealed the presence of multiple intrusive burials within and around the temple structure itself. These burials are dated much later than the construction of Hatshepsut’s temple, most of them seemingly from the Third Intermediate Period, and have been heavily disturbed over the millennia. This article presents a preliminary assessment of human remains from some of these burials. The remains are highly fragmentary and in varying states of preservation, from mummified to completely skeletonized. Only two individuals are present as nearly complete mummies. A brief inventory indicates the presence of multiple individuals, both adults and juveniles, and both male and female. At least one instance of a healed traumatic injury is visible in one of the mummified individuals. This preliminary study is intended to establish a foundation for future research regarding the life histories of these individuals.

Keywords

• human remains; physical anthropology; Deir el Bahari; skeleton; mummy