Diverse Burials Found in South Sudan Pyramids

Recent archaeological findings at Tombos, South Sudan, challenge long-held beliefs that Egyptian pyramids were exclusive burial sites for the elite. Analysis of skeletons from mud-brick pyramids revealed varying levels of physical activity, suggesting that both low-status laborers and high-status individuals were interred together. This discovery, published in the Journal of Anthropological Anthropology, indicates that pyramids may have also served as resting places for servants and functionaries, believed to continue serving the elite in the afterlife. The findings suggest a more complex social structure, where noble commissions included tombs for themselves, family, and staff. This contrasts the traditional view of pyramids as reserved only for wealthy nobility and could reshape our understanding of ancient Egyptian burial practices.