At the end of the 18th Dynasty of ancient Egypt's New Kingdom, a king ascended the throne, a thousand years of tradition out the window and turn on the device was turned upside down. His name was Amenhotep IV, son of Amenhotep III and his wife Tiye Grand Royal. Amenhotep IV was a new form of religion in Egypt, the worship of Aten, the solar disk. The old gods were to be abandoned, and great temples were closed, with its dozens of priests and great wealth.Atenism was declared one of the first examples of monotheism and Aton was not only the highest God, but the one God
Five years of his reign Amenhotep IV had changed his name to Akhenaten, the "he thinks that the benefit to the Aten" and intended to move his wife, daughters and the court in a new town called Akhetaten too well known in time modern Amarna as it is. Akhetaten had long lines of magnificent temples, palaces, processional wide streets, windows and elegant look lineVillas of the nobles and high officials. The Valley of the Kings, the traditional burial place of pharaohs of the 18th Dynasty, West Bank of the Nile at Thebes was left on, and a new royal cemetery was started in a lonely valley of Wadi which was known as the Royal. Wadi Royal was also a departure from tradition, as it was located on the east bank of the Nile, where the sun rises, rather than in the West Bank.
Akhenaten was the beautiful Queen Nefertiti, and marriedThey had six daughters - Meritaten, Meketaten, Ankhesenpaaten (later Ankhesenamen) Neferneferuaten, and Neferneferure Setepenre. He also had several secondary wives, Kiya particular, and probably many women in his harem. The principles, which were subsequently became pharaohs, and Smenkhare Tutankhaten (later King Tut), probably born and certainly raised Akhetaten. So what was all of them?
The last verifiable reference Akhenaten and his family is the year 12 of the tomb ofMeryre II After that date, the evidence is fragmented and what happened to the main players in Amarna, where he died and is dead as a matter of speculation and debate.
It 'widely recognized that many died in 17 years of his reign, Akhenaten. However, there is no evidence that he ever in the royal tomb, which he had prepared for burial. So if not in the tomb of King Akhetaten where he was buried? No mummy has been discovered that were positivelyidentified as him. There is speculation that the mysterious mummy in tomb KV55 was found, but modern studies have shown that the body was too young to be that of Akhenaten. In addition, blood tests showed that the body is either his brother or father of Tutankhamun and the shape of the skull is very similar to what has led to a wide belief that the body is that of Smenkhkare, Akhenaten's shadows successor. Akhenaten was briefly buried in the tomb of King Akhetatenand then back to Thebes, probably for safety and buried in the Valley of the Kings? If so, his tomb is still waiting to be discovered. It 'also possible that were totally destroyed in the years to his funeral and his mother. Horemheb led a campaign to clear the period of Amarna, and leaders from the face of history, with inscriptions and its temples and statues destroyed. Is this year going so far as the destruction of the burial of a king?
Nefertitialso has not experienced severe or unidentified mummy. She disappears from the historical record for 14 years, although the speculation that has changed its name and served as co-regent or pharaoh, even in itself. This is a mummy in a side room of the tomb of Amenhotep II (KV35), and recently has been associated with their violent debates. There is a mummy of a woman with the characteristics of late 18th Dynasty mummy, perhaps a royal mummy, but there is no absolute, concrete evidencethat the mummy of Nefertiti. With a lack of entries, and no DNA evidence, it is likely that this mummy is not identified with certainty.
The daughters of Akhenaten and Nefertiti, the only definitely know their father survived and lived Ankhesenpaaten is that of King Tutankhamun was married young, and changed its name to Ankhesenamen. After the death of her young husband, she is famous for the letters to the Hittite rulers Suppiluliuma I begging connectedsend him to one of his sons to Egypt to marry her. A prince, Zannanza was finally sent, but either died or was murdered on the street. Then it was probably the successor of her husband, the elderly, Ay, who reigned for about four years married. Is hidden from view during the reign of Ay, and there is no other historical record during his reign. Once again she has not experienced severe and / or mummy. She was buried in the tomb or the tomb of Tutankhamun and Ay. There was speculation that the 'recently discovered 63 KV was intended for them, but again there is no real proof and 63 KV to another cache of embalming materials used and a funeral of the late 18th Dynasty seems to be.
The eldest daughter, Merit-Aten, has some secrets about it. It bore the title "Great Royal Wife", is presumed to have been married to Akhenaten's father and / or its successor, Smenkhkare. Their titles are the other female member of the real versionFamily on various monuments, at first it was thought that it considered evidence of Nefertiti, who was eliminated, but now they are, are those of Kiya. Meritaten grave is not known, and we do not know where his body is.
The second daughter is Meketaten in 13 or 14 dead, and there are signs that is the only member of the family, was buried in the royal crypt. There is a theory that she died in childbirth, as evidenced by Akhenaton and registrationNefertiti sadness of what to be for a daughter who died recently, a nurse with the help of a newborn. However, there is also a strong possibility that swept the plague, who died across the Middle East at that time.
We know even less about the fate of three young princesses. Neferneferuaten is the only three showed the inclusion of his death his sister Meketaten, but there is historical evidence ends. Neferneferure disappears from the scene for14 years, and a little bit Setepenre 'first. They were all victims of the plague? Or were more sinister forces at work? There are graves recorded for each of three princesses, and we have mummies or grave goods.
Kiya was the most important of the wives of Akhenaten. She is a candidate for the mother of Tutankhamun, perhaps Smenkhkare, but again there is no concrete evidence. It seems at the mercy fell somewhat, as youNames and titles were on inscriptions erased and replaced with those of Meritaten and Ankhesenpaaten. You just mentioned on a label of wine from the 11th year was also the mummy of the "Young Lady" found in KV35 connected, but can not be proved or refuted. Some of their grave goods were found in KV55, four canopic jars, and probably one of their coffins, which were modified for use by a male and the last entries.
So where are all these missing mummiesand funerals? They have been destroyed because of the weight of the Amarna heresy? Akhetaten were buried, and brought for burial in Thebes? Or they are waiting to be discovered? Sure, there are a lot more to be unearthed in Egypt, and certainly some of these mysteries be solved?
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