*Palace at Malkata (32ha)*Mortuary Temple-Colossi of Memnon•The Temple of Luxor• Massive pylon at Karnak* KV22

Buildings

*Medinet Habu completely documented and transcribed hieroglyphs* KV11

*Temple of Gem-paa-aten in Thebes*Akhetaten- new capital

•New capital at Pi-ramesse (the domain of Rameses)•Temple at Abu Simbel took 13 yrs-1269BC dedicated to Amun and Ptah with a separate temple for Nefertari.* Pylon at Luxor•The Ramesseum- west bank, mortuary temple required3000 stone cutters•Hypostyle Hall at Karnak completed•KV 7 and KV5•Nefertari’s tomb in the Queen’s Valley-25ft underground

*Worked on Hypostyle Hall at Karnak*Temple at Abydos for Osiris repaired by him.•The Osireion•Summer palace at Avaris•Temple to Rameses I•KV17

Palace at Memphis one of the best preserved archaeological sites and royal residence

Examples of usurping the works of previous pharaohs.

Replaced predecessors cartouches with his own. Used Akhenaten’s talatat blocks as fill for his own 9th and 10th pylon at Karnak. Destroyed sun temples. Two statues at Karnak bear the name of Horemheb but look like Tutankhamun.

Used very deep sunken relief to prevent successors from usurping his monuments.

Architecture

Sacrificed quality for quantity and speed of construction. Commissioned numerous obelisks, colossal statuary, a pylon.

*Temples open to the sky.*No holy of holies. All could worship, unlike reclusivesanctuaries of traditional temples.*The Window of Appearances

The design of Syrian fortresses ormigdol was copied when building the gateway of Medinet Habu.

*Assassination attempt historical record of the inquiry exists*Workers from Deir el-Medinago on strike.

Known as the ‘Dazzling Sun Disc”,he paves the way for the remarkable

Amarna Period.“Heretic” who worshipped only one god, the Aten.Misshapen appearance is ‘glorified’ in the art of the period. Loss of Egyptian control over Syria and Palestine.Nefertiti disappears mysteriously circa Year 12. Some theories suggest death (plague?) or co-regency and succession as Smenkhare.

Matters of significance

The voyage of Wenamun c.1080 BC

Names are omitted from the Hall of Records at Abydos.

A non-aggression treaty signed between the Hittites and Egypt.May have been the pharaoh of the Exodus.Died at 92? years of age. Red hair.His mummy also found at Deir el-Bahri in a simple cedar coffin.

Ankhesenamun vanishes from history after he accedes to the throne.Perhaps the killer of Tutankhamun but recent cause of that pharaoh’s death tends to dispute this.

His mummy has a hole in the skull, long believed to be the cause of death. We now know the hole was created after his death.Died at 20, his own tomb was not ready as his death was premature.

Ruled for 30 years. No heir.

His mummy and 39 others moved to what is now known as the royal cache at Deir el-Bahri. Worried priests moved the mummies aroumd 1000BC. They were found in 1881AD.

Was 60 when he came to the throne.

Economy

Revenue diverted from Theban templesTo Akhetaten.Temples fell into disrepairWork on Theban buildings ceased

Went downhill after his reign. Tribute, booty and the spoils of war contributed greatly to the economy at this time.

Upper Egypt in famine.1090BC was known as the Year of the Hyena. This caused economic collapse at this time.Herihor, high priest of Amun interrogated tomb robbers. Deir el-Medina was deserted by the artisans who took refuge in Medinet Habu.

First recorded worker’s strike in history from artisans in Deir el-Medina to get full rations in year 29

Reopened the turquoise mines in the Sinai

Dug new water wells foe goldmining further into the eastern desert.Mined turquoise in the Sinai

Supplied grain to the Hittites when they were stricken by famne

Sent an expedition to Punt. Mined copper and turquoise in the Sinai. He dismissed the vizier and took control of rations to the temples in year 12

Mined gold in the eastern desert and turquoise in the Sinai

Reopened the sandstone quarries and the Sinai mines.

The last king to send mining expeditions to the Sinai

Records at Deir el-Medina indicate a sharp rise in prices

Tomb robbery in the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens

Battles

Conducted several campaignsagainst the Syrians and the Libyans. Re-established Egyptiancontrol over Palestine; reclaimedthe southern half of the Phoeniciancoastline; subdued Amurru and stormed the city of Kadesh.

Campaign against Apiru of Palestine. A stela in Buhen outlines the capture and impalement of Nubians.

Campaigned against the Nubians in Year 5 of his reign.

Revolt in Nubia may have led to construction of Abu Simbel.Revolt in Year 5 at Kadesh 1275BC against the Hittites. He assembled the biggest army the world had ever seen but two Hittite spies misled him into believing the Hittites were miles away. Reinforcements arrived but, according to Rameses, he beat the Hittites single handedly. The outcome of this battle was likely a stalemate but he did not report it that way.

Campaigns against the Libyans and Nubians

Sea peoples in Year 8-historicaltext of the event at Medinet Habu.Fought their army at Libyan border. The navy then had to be defeated as it invaded the northern Syrian coastline.A few years later he also had to fight another group of tribes,including the Libyans. Right hands were cut off to count the dead.

Long and distinguished military career.

Royal wives

Ankhesenamun-Akhenaten’sdaughter

Tiye- a commoner

Nefertiti-also Kiya

Possibly Meritaten, Akhenaten’s daughter

Mutnodjmet-possibly Nefertiti’s sister, which legitimises his right to rule.

Ankhesenamun

Sitre

T(h)uya from a non-royal family

Nefertari and later Istnofret

Isis, Titi and Tiy- a lesser wife who was unhappy that her son would not be pharaoh so plotted to assassinate this pharaoh.

Isisnofret

Family ties

May have been the brother of Queen Tiy, makinghim brother-in-law to Amenhotep III. He wasNefertiti’s father so his marriage to Ankhesenamun would have been to hisgranddaughter. Marriage to Ankhesamunwould legitimise his reign.He was Tutankhamun’s vizier.

Horemheb married Nefertiti’ssister, Mutnodjmet, in orderto strengthen his claim to

the throne. Left no heir, his vizier became Rameses I

and would start 19th dynasty.

Younger brother of Akhenaten?Nefertiti?Homosexual relationship with Akhenaten?Married his half-sister Ankhesenamun. Two mummified foetuses are possibly the result of inbreeding.

No blood relation to Rameses II. However touregypt.net suggests that he may, in fact, have been Rameses IIs grandson which places the 20th ‘dynasty’ in some doubt.

Archaeological and Written Evidence I

Commemorative scarabsAmarna letters

Amarna letters (clay tablets),written on in cuneiform.

Bust of NefertitiTalatat blocks

City remains of Akhetaten

*Great Harris Papyrusrecords all the goodworks of Rameses III’sreign, including his defeatof the Sea peoples.*Harem conspiracy papyrus

Restoration StelaTomb discovered in tact by Howard Carter in 1922. Maybe treasures in tomb were greater than otherroyal burials because he was so young or becausepeople were grateful to have the old gods restored.

Edict of Horemheb

Amenpanufer confesses to tomb robbery

Papyrus D’Orbiney records the Tale of Two Brothers

An incomplete Papyrus Moscow120 records the Report of

Wenamun which is set during thisreign.

A wine jar seal from Amenhotep III’s palaceat Malkata proves that Akhenaten owned

property there.

Northern wall of Karnak shows reliefs of his military campaigns.Hall of records at Abydos honours and lists the pharaohs before him except Amarna kings.

Reliefs at Karnak, Luxor, the Ramesseum and Abu Simbel promote Kadesh as one of the greatest ever military victories.Referred to by his successors as ‘The Great Ancestor”

Archaeological and Written Evidence II

Tablet of Victory at his mortuary temple shows him driving over Nubians and Syrians in his chariot.

Marriage to Gilukhepa of Mitanni is announced on a commemorative scarab

Embalmers stuffed his nose with peppercorns.

A lot of evidence was destroyed from these reigns owing to perceived heresy. Akhenaten especially had damage done-”damnatio memorarie”. Removing the name, not saying the name, meant no afterlife.

Attacks against Nubian and Syrian warriors in pictures from his tomb but maybe no battles occurred.

*Hunting scenes shown in the tomb. *Following his death, Ankhesenamun writes to the Hittites for a prince. That prince is killed when he enters Egypt.

Tutankhamun’s tomb shows him performing the opening of the mouth ceremony so he became pharaoh before Tutankhamun’s burial.

Medinet Habu is the best preserved temple and the texts from the walls have been completely translated.

Palace at Memphis is the best preserved royal residence.

Technological Developments

One of the earliest depictions of a shaduf from the tomb walls of Neferhotep and

Merira II.

The design of Syrian fortresses ormigdol was copied when building the

gateway of Medinet Habu.

A form of bellows was introduced , consisting of a leather–covered clay vessel with a protruding tube, which increased the temperature of the fire in the furnace. Evidence of its existence comes from a picture of one was found in the tomb of Khay, a goldwasher from this time

Time origin uncertain but a pottery wheel with a pivoted turntable that was moved by foot or turned by an assistant was used in the Ramesside period. Previously only hand-turned tables were used.

Foreign Policy

Diplomatic marriage to foreign princesses used to cement relationships with foreign rulers. However, no foreign prince was ever allowed to marry an Egyptian princess.

Two regions that dominated foreign policy were Nubia and Syria/Palestine.

Peace Treaty with the Hittites. Both Egyptian and Hittite copies still exist. Marries a Hittite princess to seal the deal.

The Amarna letters indicate that Akhenaten was perhaps remiss in being of assistance to vassal states.

Political Developments

* Queen Tiye may have been responsible for some of Akhenaten’s administration. Some believe it was Tiye who ignored Amarna letters from foreign rulers that were in trouble.

Ay and Horemheb are believed by modern historians, to have been responsible for stability and administration at this time.

Previously high priest of Amun and vizier.

Left no corner of Egypt without knowledge of his power.

Fundamental changes to the ideology of kingship. There was a reduction in the travelling of the king and the emergence of a theocracy in Thebes. The distinction between the king and the high priest of Amun became blurred. Herihor assumed the titles of vizier, viceroy of Nubia and, most significantly, a royal title , in which his fitness to rule was ascribed to his priestly authority. Outside Thebes the rule of the pharaoh remained, however, Smendes, defacto king at Tanis also appears at this time.The New Kingdom ends with this pharaoh’s death.

Religious Policies and Developments

Religious priests become the next pharaoh

*Move to Atenism-monotheismthree ceremonies a day, at dawn, noonand dusk. Despite this evidence of traditional gods found in the houses of commoners at Akhetaten. Atenism dies with Akhenaten. Followers return to Thebes.

Return to traditional gods. Wanted to restore Amun’s name. Orders the destruction of surviving evidence of Akhenaten. Talatat blocks used as fill for Karnak pylon.Appointed military men as priests of Amun.

Changed his epithet from Tutankhaten to Tutankhamun to signify rreturn to traditional gods.Restoration stela

Temple at Abu Simbel glorified Amun, Ptah and himself in the 10th year of his reign.

Deification and relationship with the gods.

*Temple to Ptah in Memphis depicts the pharaoh and Ptah as gods.*Temple of Soleb in Nubia has a shrine equipt for worship to Amun and this pharaoh. He is also shown offering to himself in reliefs and also with Amun’s rams horns.•In one of Karnak’s anterooms, reliefs show his divine birth and coronation by Amun.•Called himself “Dazzling sun disc” – he became the face of Re- as his left eye. He replaced Shu and the moon gods Horus, Osiris and Khonsu.

*Singular relationship with the Aten•Personally penned “Hymn to the Aten”= ‘there is no other who knows you, only your son’.•Intermediary between the people and the Aten•Like his father, he replaced Shu•His reign was established as a co-regency with the Aten•Enforced his divinity with Nefertiti. Evidence of her leading the worship at times.

*Re-association with Amun*Changed his name from Tutankhaten to Tutankhamun•In Theban temple there’s a red granite statue of himself as both Amun and his female form Amunet.•Statue of this pharaoh as Khonsu in between Amun and Mut, as their son.

Legitimised his right to rule by claiming on his coronation stela that he was crowned by Amun at Thebes.Associated himself with Horus.

Legitimised his right to rule and increased his deification by using his birth as it was in conjunction with the rising of the star Sirius.Included himself as a deityin the temple of AbydosPromoted the cult of his father as a rightful god.

Achieved the status of a god

Reliefs show Atum confirming his kingship by presenting him with the crook and flail, and a bird representing the people of Egypt.

Artistic Achievements

Became informal and intimate.

Extremely high quality raised relief used at Abydos. His tomb also regarded as a masterpiece of Egyptian art.

Early Life

Trained and was active in military campaigns from the age of 15. At 22 he was settling a small revolt from Nubia. He had 20 children before he became pharaoh, which was at the age of 25.Supervised his father’s work at the Temple of Abydos- later modified it.

!3th son of Rameses II

Began in the military during the reign of Amenhotep III. Became a military commander under Akhenaten.Tutankhamun’s Commander of the Army and King’s Deputy

Trained for the priesthood at Memphis.Statue in the Cairo Museum of Amenhotep’s family does not include the young Akhenaten.

Born and raised at Akhetaten

King’s priest and vizier during the reign of Tutankhamun.

Vizier to Horemheb. Army officer.

Royal Image

Keen to stress the fertility of the royal house and sired around 100 children it is believed, that reached adulthood.Master builderWarrior pharaohGreat god

Warrior pharaoh-name comes from Seth, the god of war and storms.Mighty builder

Seen as god of life.

Dazzling Sun Disc.Amun is satisfied

Co regency with Nefertiti? Smenkhare?

Divine father