Shocking Ancient Egyptian Burials Reveal Horrible Post-Death Practices

Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of macabre burial practices by the ancient Egyptians that offer a rare glimpse into the spiritual lives of villagers more than 5,000 years ago. Among the most striking finds was the body of a teenage girl buried in the Adayima cemetery near the Nile River, dating from 3300 to 2700 BC. Her hand had been deliberately severed posthumously near the lower arm and forearm, possibly with an axe, and the muscles were likely cut with a flint blade. Those who prepared her body carefully arranged the severed parts so that they appeared almost whole, with the hand placed next to the forearm.

Archaeologists said it appeared the aim was to make the severed right arm match the unusual position of her left arm, which was bent sharply, more than right angles, and held very tightly against her body, the Daily Mail reports.

The girl's body was also carefully aligned with the setting sun on the winter solstice, and her tomb was oriented toward the rising of Sirius, the brightest star in the sky.

Experts suggest her burial may be the earliest evidence 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 star placements and symbolic gestures likely influenced the religious traditions that were later adopted by Egypt's first pharaohs, who emerged approximately 100 to 400 years later, the Daily Mail notes.

The researchers used artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyze patterns among more than 900 tombs at the 74-acre Adayma site, one of ancient Egypt’s oldest and most thoroughly studied cemeteries. Their findings revealed long-term cultural shifts in burial customs, including the gradual emergence of social hierarchy and spiritual symbolism.

Nearby, another woman was found buried with ornate jewelry and pottery, her coffin positioned to receive the winter sun.

The third grave depicted a woman with a ceremonial staff and a wig made of plant fibers, standing facing a summer sunset.

According to the study, these early celestial landmarks and ritual gestures appear to have shaped the mythology later adopted by Egypt's ruling elite.

Later burials were often located around earlier, astronomically aligned tombs, suggesting that these burials had ongoing religious or ancestral significance. They included ivory boat models and elaborate coffins that likely indicated individuals of higher status or spiritual importance.

One child's bone was found on the chest of an adult, while a woman was buried with a fragment of a bracelet in her hand, which was interpreted as a deliberate expression of spiritual beliefs and connections to the afterlife, the Daily Mail notes.

In the myth of Osiris, Isis collects the scattered body parts of her murdered husband after he is killed by his jealous brother Set. Using magic, she briefly brings him back to life to conceive their son Horus. This story, symbolizing resurrection, was closely linked to the annual flooding of the Nile and cycles of renewal.

According to another study on ancient Egyptian astronomy, "The flooding of the Nile was caused by the tears shed by Isis after her brother Set killed her husband Osiris."

"Sepdet, which we know as Sirius, was thought to be the appearance of Isis in the sky," the study says.

These ancient rural burial customs, including severed limbs and celestial alignment, appear to have laid the foundation for Egypt's later religious and mythological traditions.

"When the state arose, it did not create a religion out of thin air," the researchers write. "It absorbed long-standing traditions and reworked them into royal narratives."