Did the ancient Egyptians really marry their siblings and children?

It's often said that ancient Egyptian royalty married within the family, with pharaohs marrying siblings and sometimes even children. But is there any truth to the claim?

The answer is yes: People in ancient Egypt — both royal and nonroyal — married their relatives, but the details vary according to the time period and class.

Among the general population, brother-sister marriages occurred frequently during the time the Romans controlled Egypt — from 30 B.C. to A.D. 395 — but they were rarer in earlier time periods, according to ancient records. Meanwhile, ancient Egyptian royals sometimes married their siblings — a practice that may have reflected religious beliefs — and pharaohs sometimes married their own daughters. 

“The question of the practice of incest in Ancient Egypt has given rise to much discussion” among scholars Marcelo Campagno, a researcher with the University of Buenos Aires and the Argentinian National Council of Research (CONICET), told Live Science in an email.

Examples of Egyptian rulers who were married to their siblings include Senwosret I (reigned circa 1961 B.C. to 1917 B.C.), who was married to his sister Neferu; Amenhotep I (reigned circa 1525 B.C. to 1504 B.C.), who was married to his sister Ahmose-Meritamun; and Cleopatra VII (reigned circa 51 B.C. to 30 B.C.), who was married to her brother Ptolemy XIV before he was killed.

Related: What did the ancient Egyptian pyramids look like when they were built?

There were also instances of pharaohs marrying their daughters: Ramesses II (reigned circa 1279 B.C. to1213 B.C.) took Meritamen, one of his daughters, as a wife.