Tombos Tombs Reveal Social Complexity: Not Just for the Elite in Ancient Nubia

Excavations at Tombos, Sudan, near the Nile's Third Cataract, reveal that pyramid tombs, once thought to be exclusively for the elite, also housed lower-status laborers. A study of 110 skeletons showed enthesopathies, indicating heavy physical labor, in some individuals buried within these tombs. This challenges the notion that pyramids were solely for the upper class, suggesting less rigid social stratification than previously believed. The site of Tombos, established around 1400 BC after Egyptian incursion, served as a crucial Egyptian stronghold in Nubia, also known as Kush. Researchers suggest the co-burials could reflect a hierarchical social order, with elites surrounded by laborers, or a desire among lower-status individuals to be near the elite for status or protection. While the study focused on Sudan, similar burials have been noted in Egypt, warranting further investigation. Some experts caution that bone changes could also reflect military training among the elite, and that the pyramids in Tombos were for local elites, not royalty as in Egypt.