Cemetery of severed right hands for "gold of honor": a dark ritual of ancient Egyptians uncovered (photos).

Scientists have uncovered the truth behind the 12 severed hands found in ancient Egyptian burial pits, as reported by DailyMail.

Analysis revealed that all the severed hands were right hands, with 11 belonging to men and one to a woman. Researchers suggest that this discovery may be evidence of a horrific ritual known as "the gold of honor." The essence of this ancient practice involved warriors of the pharaoh presenting severed hands of their enemies in exchange for a prestigious reward: a necklace made of gold beads.

Before the discovery of these severed hands, this ritual was known only from inscriptions in ancient Egyptian tombs dating back to 1550–1077 B.C. The findings indicate that this gruesome ritual may have been practiced nearly a century earlier than previously thought. The severed hands were found in the palace of the Hyksos, the ruling power of Egypt's 15th dynasty (1640–1530 B.C.), invaders from Western Asia.

"This was a very delicate operation. For me, it is another argument that the hands were severed as part of a ritual," says French anthropologist Isabelle Crevecoeur.

The severed hands were discovered in the courtyard of the Hyksos palace, the ruins of which are located in Tell el-Daba.

"After amputation, the hands were buried in the ground with fingers widely spread, primarily palms facing down," archaeologists emphasize.

Further analysis of the bones helped scientists determine the age and sex of the individuals whose limbs were severed. Researchers established that 11 hands belonged to men, as it is known that male index fingers are longer than ring fingers. The twelfth hand belonged to a woman.

It was also found that the minimum age of the ritual victims ranged from 14 to 21 years. The oldest limbs likely belonged to individuals under 60 years old, as there were no signs of age-related degeneration on the bones.

Such evidence, according to the research team, adds further details regarding the practice of trophy collection in Ancient Egypt.

Researchers speculate that among the ancient Hyksos, it was customary to bury severed hands in the courtyard of the palace. However, another chilling detail remains unclear: were these hands taken from the dead or living individuals?

Scientists note that at the time of burial, these body parts were soft and flexible, indicating they were buried before rigor mortis set in. It is likely that the hands were placed in the pit somewhere between 24 and 48 hours after they were severed.

As a reminder, an unusual burial of a daughter of an ancient Egyptian ruler has been discovered. Archaeologists found a tomb that is 4000 years old, where the daughter of the ruler of one of the wealthiest provinces of Ancient Egypt at that time was buried.