CAIRO — Wherever it is played, roller derby, the skating contact sport that is enjoying a global revival powered by women, prides itself on a quirky subculture and jokey jargon — strange outfits, bawdy nicknames and players who wear makeup.

In Egypt, they give it an archaeological twist.

Novices are called “mummies”; players of intermediate skill are known as “Cleopatras”; and those with six months training under their belt — who have paid their dues in bruises — graduate to “Cairoller,” a full member of Egypt’s only roller derby club.

They practice, twice a week, under the floodlights of an outdoor handball court at the Cairo International Stadium, honing their skills in the essential aspects of the sport — moving fast, with dexterity, and barging opponents out of the way. A lot like daily life, in other words.