Kill Thy Neighbor: Violence, Power, and Human Sacrifice in Ancient Egypt

While many forms of violence against human beings are considered taboo, others are considered acceptable or even desirable under certain circumstances. Human sacrifice in particular occurs as a form of state-sanctioned killing in societies throughout time and space. Evidence for human sacrifice in Egypt is sparse and controversial. In this study, I examine archaeological evidence for this practice in ancient Egypt, and human remains that are believed to be the victims of human sacrifice in the early stages of state formation. By assessing examples of human sacrifice around the world and exploring the ways that violence such as human sacrifice may become accepted or even celebrated, I place the possible examples of human sacrifice in Egypt within the broader scholarly conversation of violence, anthropology, and archaeology. Human remains that are believed to represent victims of sacrifice may shed light on the aspects of identity that led to selection of sacrificial victims. Though much of the data from Egypt was excavated over the past few centuries by scholars of various levels of experience, and though standards of excavation and conservation have evolved, it may still be possible to apply modern methods of analysis to old remains and yield new data. In this case, it seems clear that human sacrifice was practice in ancient Egypt, based on the evidence for skeletal trauma on many of the remains, but that the Egyptians viewed human sacrifice as very different from the violence expected of the king, as in smiting motifs or the defense of Egypt’s borders. By exploring the possibilities of old data to reveal new information, we may greatly expand our knowledge not only of the Egyptians but of human societies through history and around the world.