The site of Amarna (commonly known as el-Amarna or
incorrectly as Tel el-Amarna; see below) (Arabic:
العمارنة al-‘amārnah)
is located on the east bank of the
Nile River in the modern Egyptian province of
Minya, some 58 km (38 miles) south of the city of
al-Minya, 312 km (194 miles) south of the Egyptian capital
Cairo
and 402 km (250 miles) north of
Luxor.[1]
The site of Amarna includes several modern villages, chief of
which are
el-Till in the north and
el-Hagg Qandil in the south.The area contains an extensive
Egyptian
archaeological site that represents the remains of the capital
city newly–established and built by the
Pharaoh
Akhenaten of the late
Eighteenth Dynasty (c. 1353 BC), and abandoned shortly
afterwards.[2]
The name for the city employed by the
ancient Egyptians is written as Akhetaten (or
Akhetaton – transliterations vary) in
English transliteration. Akhetaten means "Horizon
of the
Aten."[3]
The area was also occupied during later
Roman and early
Christian times, excavations to the south of the city have
found several structures from this period.[4]
Naming issues
The frequent designation "Tel el-Amarna" for the city is
inaccurate: nowhere do the ancient remains constitute a mound of
eroded architecture that would warrant the description of a "Tell"
(Arabic: "hill"), so common elsewhere in the region.
Cyril Aldred notes that the name "Tel el-Amarna" is a
misunderstanding of the name for one of the modern villages near
the ruins, Et Til el Amarna. The name "Amarna" itself comes from
the name of a tribe of nomads, the Beni Amran, who left the
Western Desert in the 8th century to settle on the banks of
the Nile
along this stretch.
The city of
Akhetaten
The area of the city was effectively a virgin–site, and it was
in this city that the Akhetaten described as the Aten's
"..the seat of the First Occasion, which he had made for
himself that he might rest in it."
It may be that the Royal Wadi's resemblance to the hieroglyph
for horizon showed that this was the place to found the
city.
The city was built as the new capital of the Pharaoh Akhenaten,
dedicated to his new religion of worship to the Aten. Construction
started in or around Year 5 of his reign (1346 BC) and was
probably completed by Year 9 (1341 BC), although it became the
capital city two years earlier. To speed up construction of the
city most of the buildings were constructed out of
mud-brick, and white washed. The most important buildings were
faced with local stone.[5]
It is the only ancient
Egyptian
city
which preserves great details of its internal plan, in large part
because the city was abandoned after the death of Akhenaten. The
city seems to have remained active for a decade or so after his
death, and a shrine to
Horemheb indicates that it was at least partially occupied at
the beginning of his reign,[6]
if only as a source for building material elsewhere. Once it was
abandoned it remained uninhabited until Roman settlement[4]
began along the edge of the Nile. However, due to the unique
circumstances of its creation and abandonment, it is questionable
how representative of ancient Egyptian cities it actually is.
Akhetaten was hastily constructed and covered an area of
approximately 8 miles (13 km) of territory on the east bank of the
Nile River; on the west bank, land was set aside to provide crops
for the city's population.[3]
The entire city was encircled with a total of 14 boundary stelae
detailing Akhenaten's conditions for the establishment of this new
capital city of Egypt.[3]
The earliest dated stelae from Akhenaten's new city is known to
be Boundary stelae K which is dated to Year 5, IV Peret
(or month 8), day 13 of Akhenaten's reign.[7]
(most of the original 14 boundary stelas have been badly eroded).
It preserves an account of Akhenaten's foundation of this city.
The document records the pharaoh's wish to have several temples of
the Aten to be erected here, for several royal tombs to be created
in the eastern hills of Akhetaten for himself, his chief wife
Nefertiti and his eldest daughter
Meritaten as well as his explicit command that when he was
dead, he would be brought back to Akhetaten for burial.[8]
Boundary stela K introduces a description of the events that were
being celebrated at Akhetaten:
|
“ |
His Majesty mounted a great chariot of electrum, like the
Aten
when He rises on the horizon and fills the land with His love,
and took a goodly road to Akhetaten, the place of origin,
which [the Aten] had created for Himself that he might be
happy therein. It was His son Wa'enre (ie. Akhenaten) who
founded it for Him as His monument when His Father commanded
him to make it. Heaven was joyful, the earth was glad every
heart was filled with delight when they beheld him.[9] |
” |
This text then goes on to state that Akhenaten made a great
oblation to the god Aten "and this is the theme [of the occasion]
which is illustrated in the
lunettes of the stelae where he stands with his queen and
eldest daughter before an altar heaped with offerings under the
Aten, while it shines upon him rejuvenating his body with its
rays."[9]
Site and plan
Located on the east bank of the Nile, the ruins of the city are
laid out roughly north to south along a 'Royal Road', now referred
to as 'Sikhet es-Sultan'.[10][11]
The Royal residences are generally to the north, in what is known
as the
North City, with a central administration and religious area
and the south of the city is made up of residential suburbs.
North City
Located within the North City area is the
Northern Palace, the main residence of the Royal Family.
Between this and the central city, the Northern Suburb was
initially a prosperous area with large houses, but the house size
decreased and became poorer the further from the road they were.[11]
Central City
Most of the important ceremonial and administrative buildings
were located in the central city. Here the
Great Temple of the Aten and the
Small Aten Temple were used for religious functions and
between these the
Great Royal Palace and
Royal Residence were the ceremonial residence of the King and
Royal Family, and were linked by a bridge or ramp.[12]
Located behind the Royal Residence was the
Bureau of Correspondence of Pharaoh, where the
Amarna Letters were found.[13]
This area was probably the first area to be completed, and had
at least 2 phases of construction.[10]
Southern suburbs
To the south of the city was the area now referred to as the
Southern Suburbs. It contained the estates of many of the
city's powerful nobles, including
Nahkt (Chief Minister),
Renefer (General),
Panehesy (High Priest of the Aten) and
Ramose (Master of Horses). This area also held the studio of
the sculptor
Thutmose, where the famous bust of Nefertiti was found in
1912.[14]
Further to the south of the city was
Kom el-Nana, an enclosure, usually referred to as a
sun-shade, and was probably built as a sun-temple.[15],
and then the
Maru-Aten, which was palace or sun-temple originally thought
to have been constructed for
Akhenaten's queen
Kiya,
but on her death her name and images were altered to those of
Meritaten, his daughter.[16].
City outskirts
Surrounding the city and marking its extent, the
Boundary Stelae (each a rectangle of carved rock on the cliffs
on both sides of the Nile) describe the founding of the city and
are a primary source of information about the city.[17]
Away from the city Akhenaten's a
Royal necropolis was started in a narrow valley to the east of
the city, hidden in the cliffs. Only one tomb was completed, and
was used by a un-named Royal Wife, and Akhenaten's tomb was
hastily used to hold his and probably
Meketaten, his second daughter.[18]
In the cliffs to the north and south of the Royal Wadi, the
nobles of the city constructed their
Tombs.
Amarna
art-style
The Amarna art-style is unique among the Egyptian world for its
more realistic depiction of its subjects, instead of the strict
idealistic
formalism universal in
Egyptian art up until that point, as well as for depicting
many informal scenes such as the royal family playing with their
children. Although the worship of
Aten
(often referred to as the
Amarna heresy) was completely suppressed, the artistic legacy
had a more lasting impact. The art broke with a number of
important long-established Egyptian conventions. These included
intimate portrayals of affection within the royal family, and the
abandonment of portraying women as lighter colored than men. The
art also has a realism that sometimes borders on caricature.
 |
Amarna, outside walls of house
R.44.2 Reign of Akhenaten, 1353 - 1336 B.C.
Limestone; h. 19.7 cm, w. 17.2 cm, d. 4.9 cm
Gift of the Egypt Exploration Society.
San Diego Museum of Man, San Diego
Traditionally placed in tombs or temples, private stelae
or memorial tablets were rare at Amarna. Four
individuals appear here; their positions at Amarna and
even their relationship to each other are not stated.
Two men, named Menena and Yaya, sit on elaborate stools,
across from two women, Tashety and Mery. |
|
Rediscovery
and excavation
Where the workmen lived:
THIS IS THE TOMB OF HUYA - A WORKMAN?
The first western mention of the city was made in 1714 by
Claude Sicard, a
French
Jesuit
priest who was travelling through the Nile Valley, and
described the boundary stela from Amarna. As with much of Egypt,
it was visited by
Napoleon's
corps de savants in 1798–1799, who prepared the first
detailed
map of Amarna, which was subsequently published in
Description de l'Égypte between 1821 and 1830.[19]
After this European exploration continued in 1824 when Sir
John Gardiner Wilkinson explored and mapped the city remains.
The copyist
Robert Hay and his surveyor G. Laver visited the locality and
uncovered several of the Southern Tombs from sand drifts,
recording the reliefs in 1833. The copies made by Hay and Laver
languish largely unpublished in the
British Library, where an ongoing project to identify their
locations is underway.[20]
The
Prussian expedition led by Richard Lepsius visited the site in
1843 and 1845, and recorded the visible monuments and topography
of Amarna in two separate visits over a total of twelve days,
using drawings and paper squeezes. The results were ultimately
published in
Denkmäler aus Ægypten und Æthiopien between 1849 to 1913,
including an improved map of the city.[19]
Despite being somewhat limited in accuracy, the engraved
Denkmäler plates formed the basis for scholastic knowledge and
interpretation of many of the scenes and inscriptions in the
private tombs and some of the Boundary Stelae for the rest of the
century. The records made by these early explorers teams are of
immense importance since many of these remains were later
destroyed or otherwise lost.
In 1887 a local woman digging for
sebakh uncovered a cache of over 300
cuneiform tablets (now commonly known as the
Amarna Letters).[21]
These tablets recorded select
diplomatic correspondence of the Pharaoh and were
predominantly written in
Akkadian, the
lingua franca commonly used during the
Late Bronze Age of the
Ancient Near East for such communication. This discovery led
to the recognition of the importance of the site, and lead to a
further increase in exploration.[22]
In 1891 and 1892
Alessandro Barsanti 'discovered' and cleared the king's tomb
(although it was probably known to the local population from about
1880).[23]
Around the same time Sir
Flinders Petrie worked for one season at Amarna, working
independently of the
Egypt Exploration Fund. He excavated primarily in the Central
City, investigating the
Great Temple of the Aten, the Great Official Palace, the
King's House, the
Bureau of Correspondence of Pharaoh and several private
houses. Although frequently amounting to little more than a
sondage, Petrie's excavations revealed additional cuneiform
tablets, the remains of several glass factories, and a great
quantity of discarded
faience, glass and ceramic in sifting the palace rubbish heaps
(including Mycenaean sherds).[22]
By publishing his results and reconstructions rapidly, Petrie was
able to stimulate further interest in the site's potential.
The copiest and artist
Norman de Garis Davies published drawn and photographic
descriptions of private tombs and boundary stelae from Amarna from
1903 to 1908. These books were republished by the EES in 2006.
In the early years of the 20th century (1907 to 1914) the
Deutsche Orientgesellschaft expedition, led by
Ludwig Borchardt, excavated extensively throughout the North
and South suburbs of the city. The famous bust of
Nefertiti, now in Berlin's
Ägyptisches Museum, was discovered amongst other sculptural
artifacts in the workshop of the sculptor
Thutmose. The outbreak of the
First World War in August 1914 terminated the German
excavations.
From 1921 to 1936 an Egypt Exploration Society expedition
returned to excavation at Amarna under the direction of
T.E. Peet, Sir
Leonard Woolley,
Henri Frankfort,
Stephen Glanville[24]
and
John Pendlebury. The renewed investigations was focused on
religious and royal structures.
During the 1960s the Egyptian Antiquities Organization (now the
Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities) undertook a number of
excavations at Amarna.
Exploration of the city continues to the present, currently
under the direction of Barry Kemp (Reader in Egyptology,
University of Cambridge, England) under the auspices of the
Egypt Exploration Society.[6][25]
In 1980 A separate expedition led by Geoffrey Martin described and
copies the reliefs from the Royal Tomb, later publishing its
findings together with objects thought to have come from the tomb,
this work was published in 2 volumes by the EES.
In 2007, the continuing EES exploration discovered a
cemetery of private individuals, close to the southern tombs
of the Nobles.[26]
Notes
and references
References
- ^
"Google
Maps Satellite image". Google.
http://maps.google.com/maps?t=k&ie=UTF8&ll=27.649016,30.908833&spn=0.056566,0.077248&z=14.
Retrieved 2008-10-01.
- ^
"The
Official Website of the Amarna Project".
http://www.amarnaproject.com/.
Retrieved 2008-10-01.
- ^
a
b
c
David (1998), p.125
- ^
a
b "Middle
Egypt Survey Project 2006". Amarna Project. 2006.
http://www.amarnaproject.com/pages/recent_projects/survey/middle_egypt/2006.shtml.
Retrieved 2007-06-06.
- ^
Grundon (2007), p.89
- ^
a
b "Excavating
Amarna". Archaeology.org. 2006-09-27.
http://www.archaeology.org/online/interviews/kemp.html.
Retrieved 2007-06-06.
-
^ Aldred (1988),
p.47
- ^ Aldred
(1998), pp.47-50
- ^
a
b
Aldred (1998), p.48
- ^
a
b
Waterson (1999), p.81
- ^
a
b
Grundon (2007), p.92
-
^
Waterson (1999), p.82
-
^
Moran (1992), p.xiv
-
^
Waterson (1999), p.138
-
^
"Kom
El-Nana".
http://www.amarnaproject.com/pages/amarna_the_place/komelnana/index.shtml.
Retrieved 2008-10-04.
-
^ Eyma
(2003), p.53
-
^
"Boundary
Stelae".
http://www.amarnaproject.com/pages/amarna_the_place/boundary_stelae/index.shtml.
Retrieved 2007-06-09.
-
^
"Royal
Tomb".
http://www.amarnaproject.com/pages/amarna_the_place/royal_tombs/index.shtml.
Retrieved 2008-10-04.
- ^
a
b
"Mapping
Amarna".
http://www.amarnaproject.com/pages/recent_projects/survey/index.shtml.
Retrieved 2008-10-01.
-
^
"The
Robert Hay Drawings in the British Library".
http://www.astene.org.uk/associated_events_societies/hay.htm.
Retrieved 2008-10-01.
-
^
"Wallis
Budge describes the discovery of the Amarna tablets".
http://members.tripod.com/~ib205/budge.html.
Retrieved 2008-10-01.
- ^
a
b
Grundon (2007), pp.90-91
-
^
"Royal
Tomb". The Amarna Project.
http://www.amarnaproject.com/pages/amarna_the_place/royal_tombs/index.shtml.
Retrieved 2008-10-01.
-
^
Grundon(2007), p.71
-
^
"Fieldwork-
Tell El-Armana".
http://www.ees.ac.uk/fieldwork/amarna.htm.
Retrieved 2008-10-01.
-
^
John Hayes-Fisher. "Grim
secrets of Pharaoh's city". BBC Timewatch.
news.bbc.co.uk.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7209472.stm.
Retrieved 2008-10-01.
Bibliography
- Redford, Donald (1984).
Akhenaten : The Heretic King. Princeton.
- David, Rosalie (1998).
Handbook to Life in Ancient Egypt. Facts on File Inc..
- Moran, William L. (1992). The
Amarna Letters. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
ISBN 0-8018-4251-4.
- Aldred, Cyril (1988).
Akhenaten, King of Egypt. Thames & Hudson.
- Grundon, Imogen (2007). The
Rash Adventurer, A Life of John Pendlebury. London: Libri.
- de Garis Davies, Norman
(1903-1908). The Rock Tombs of El Amarna. Part 1-6.
London: EES.
- Martin, G.T. (1974, 1989).
The Royal Tomb at el-'Amarna, 2 vols. London: EES.
- Aayko Eyma ed., A Delta-Man in Yebu,
Universal-Publishers. 2003
- Waterson, Barbara (1999).
Amarna: Ancient Egypt's Age of Revolution.
External links
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[show]
City of Akhetaten |
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| City |
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| Necropolis |
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| Other |
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There is no 'definite' chronology for
many periods of Ancient Egyptian history, and the Amarna Period is no
exception, however the table below shows one version.
In a very strict sense, the Amarna
Period might be considered to encompass only the reign of Akhenaten. He
founded the city we most frequently refer to as Amarna (Akhetaten) which
hardly lasted beyond his reign. Some Egyptologists expand this
period to include at least the latter part of his father, Amenhotep III's
reign through and into the reign of Tutankhamun. The ancient Egyptians
actually appear to consider the 18th Dynasty and the reign of Horemheb,
though the latter kings sought to return Egypt to its traditional
religion.
The primary reason that most sources
begin the Amarna period with the latter part of
Amenhotep III's
reign is probably due to the fact that this was the period when
Akhenaten, originally
Amenhotep (IV), rose to crown prince and was subjected to the influences
that would eventually cause him to attempt to altar Egyptian religion. He
may have even served as a co-regent to his father. However, it should be
noted that the Akhenaten's father and grandfather both venerated the
god Aten, though
certainly not in the radical method of their offspring. The end of this
period is marked by the efforts of the real powers behind the reign of
Tutankhamun,
consisting of Ay and Horemheb, working to restore the traditional Egyptian
religion, though such efforts may have been made even as early as the
latter years of Akhenaten's reign. However, there is reason to believe,
due to the omission of
Ay's and
Horemheb's names form certain kings lists, that the ruler of the
19th Dynasty included
them in the Akhenaten heresy.
This chronology takes year 0 of Akhenaten's reign as
its start point, and gives events relative to that. Many of the dates are
the subject of intense debate but some points are generally accepted.
Akhenaten reigned for 16 years, Tutankhamun came to the throne at the age
of 9, and between the two there was a shadowy figure, Smenkhkare.
| |
Amenhotep III (Nebmaatre)
1382 - 1344 |
| 0 |
Amenhotep IV Akhenaten - Becomes Pharaoh -
1350 - 1334 |
| 1 |
Work continues at Karnak |
| 2 |
Work starts on 4 Aten temples at Thebes |
| 3 |
Celebrates Sed festival |
| 4 |
Work begins on Akhetaten |
| 5 |
Disbands priesthoods of other gods
Changes name to Akhenaten |
| 6 |
Central section of Akhetaten completed |
| 7 |
|
| 8 |
|
| 9 |
Aten
declared sole God |
| 10 |
|
| 11 |
Last
mention of Kiya
Birth of Tutankhaten ? |
| 12 |
All 6 daughters shown for last time
Death
of Queen Tiye ?
Queen Tiye was Akhenaten's mother. |
| 13 |
It is not known for certain
whose daughter Ankhesenpaten is - Kiya or Nefertiti, but Ahkenaten
was her father since one of her own daughters had the same health
disablements that her father and Tutenkhamen had. |
| 14 |
Last
mention of Nefertiti |
| 15 |
|
| 16 |
|
| 17 |
Smenkhkare becomes Pharaoh
(Ankhkheperure) 1336-1334 |
| 18 |
|
| 19 |
|
| 20 |
Tutankhaten becomes Pharaoh |
| 21 |
|
| 22 |
|
| 23 |
Tutankhaten becomes Tutankhamun
(Nebkheperure) 1334 - 1325
Ankhesenpaten,
who had married her half brother Tutankhamun changed her name to
Ankhesenamun as well. |
| 24 |
Royal court transfers back to Thebes |
| 25 |
|
| 26 |
|
| 27 |
|
| 28 |
Ay Becomes Pharaoh
Ay (Kheperkheperure) 1325 - 1321
It is said that Ay married Ankhesenamun in order to become Pharaoh
after Tutankhamun died - possibly murdered.
After Ay becomes Pharaoh, Ankhesenamun is not mentioned again. |
| |
Horemheb (Djeserkheperure)
1323 - 1295 |
|
|
|
|
Could these
tablets contain records of Joshua and the Hebrews conquering the
land of Canaan?
See:
http://www.bible-history.com/old-testament/BKA2Joshua_and_the_Conquest_of_Canaa.htm
Tel el Amarna was
in ancient Egypt near the Nile River about halfway between Memphis
and Thebes. In 1988 there were about 400 cuneiform tablets
discovered at this site which were part of the royal archives of
Amenhotep III and Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten) who reigned about 1400
BC.
|
Among them were letters written in Babylonian cuneiform
script to these Pharaohs of Egypt by various kings
dwelling in the land of Canaan and Syria, they were
written during the time of Moses. They provide the first
evidence of the Hebrew tribes entering into the land of
Canaan in ancient times.
The collection of about 350 inscribed
clay tablets from Egypt, written in the cuneiform writing,
being part of the royal archives of Amenophis III and
Amenophis IV; kings of the XVIIIth Egyptian Dynasty about
1480 to 1460 BC. Some of the tablets are broken and there
is a little uncertainty concerning the exact number of
separate letters. 81 are in the British Museum = BM; 160
in the New Babylonian and Assyrian Museum, Berlin= B; 60
in the Cairo Museum = C; 20 at Oxford = O; the remainder,
20 or more, are in other museums or in private
collections.
Some of the tablets were
anxious letters written from Jerusalem (Urusalim), warning
the pharaoh an invasion by the 'Habiru [Khabiru]', who
were approaching from Trans-Jordan.
It is interesting that
Akhenaten's new capital, Akhetaton, which he built with
his queen Nefertiti was at the same place as modern Amarna
(Tell el Amarna).
The Amarna Letters
discovery is highly important in the study of Biblical
Archaeology because they refer to events in the middle
east in the 15th and 14th centuries BC. They refer to the
Hebrews, they give evidence of the trustworthiness of the
book of Judges. They mention a lot about Canaan, the half
of Israel to the west of the Jordan. This name "Canaan"
has been found in Egyptian inscriptions of the New
Kingdom. The king of Babylon used the word Canaan to
designate the entire Egyptian province of Canaan when he
wrote to Pharaoh: "Canaan is thy land and its kings are
thy servants" (El-Amarna 8, 25)
The Tablets are from 3
inches wide and anywhere from 3 to 9 inches in length, and
they are inscribed on both sides. The letters were written
in Akkadian, which had been the language of international
relations for some time. Today the Tell el Amarna Tablets
are mainly in the British, Berlin and Cairo museums.
The original name of
Jerusalem was Babylonian, Uru-Salim, "the city of Salim,"
shortened into Salem in Gen 14:18 and in the inscriptions
of the Egyptian kings Ramses II and Ramses III. In the
Tell el-Amarna Letters (1400 BC) Jerusalem is still known
as Uru-Salim, and its king bears a Hittite name, implying
that it was at the time in the possession of the Hittites.
His enemies, however, were closing around him, and one of
the tablets shows that the city was eventually captured
and its king slain. These enemies would seem to have been
the Jebusites, since it is after this period that the name
"Jebus" makes its appearance for the first time in the Old
Testament (Judges 19:10,11).
"But the
man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and
departed, and came over against Jebus, which is Jerusalem;
and there were with him two asses saddled, his concubine
also was with him. And when they were by Jebus, the day
was far spent; and the servant said unto his master, Come,
I pray thee, and let us turn in into this city of the
Jebusites, and lodge in it." Judges 19:10-11
British Museum Excerpt
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EXCERPTS OF AMARNA LETTERS
This is the first time that I had heard that Merytaten was called
Mayati. The Amarna letters are eye-openers.
Here is E-10
Egyptian gold and carpenters
Text: BM 29786
Copy: BB 3
Say to Naphurareyla, the king of Egypt: Thus
Burra-Buriyas, the king of Karaduniyas. For me all goes well. For you, for
your household, for your wives, for your sons, for your magnates, for your
troops, for your chariots, for your horses, and for your country, mall go
well.
Lines 8-24 - From the time of Karaindas, since the
messengers of your ancestors came regularly to my ancestors, up to the
present, they (the ancestors) have been friends. Now, though you and I are
friends, 3 times have your messengers come to me and you have not sent me
a single beautiful greeting-gift, now have I for my part sent you a
beautiful greeting-gift,. (I am one for whom nothing is scarce, and
you are one for whom nothing is scarce.) As for your messenger whom
you sent to me, the 20 minas of gold that were brought here were not all
there. When they put it into the kiln, not 5 minas of gold appeared.
The ____ that did appear, on cooling off looked like ashes. Was the gold
ever identified as gold? _____ friend with each other _____
Lines 25-28 ____
Lines 29 - 42 ____of a wild ox for ____ when your
messenger ___ let him bring to me. There are skilled carpenters where you
are. Let them represent a wild animal, land or aquatic, lifelike, so that
the hide is exactly like that of a wild animal. Let your messenger bring
it to me. But if there are some old ones already on hand, then as
soon Sindisugab, my messenger reaches you,, let him immediately,
posthaste, borrow chariots and get here. Let them make some new ones for
future delivery, and then when my messenger comes here with your
messenger, let them bring them here together.
Lines 43-49 I send as your greeting-gift 2
minas of lapis lazuli, and concerning your daughter Mayati, having heard
about her, I send to her as her greeting-gift a necklace of cricket-shaped
gems, of lapis lazuli, 1048 their number. And when your messenger comes
along with Sindisugab, I will make ____ and have it brought to her."
I have not transcribed EA-11 because the person
ascribed in the letter has not been identified specifically.
EA-155 - Servant of Mayati
Text BM 29814 + VAT 1872
Copies: BB 31 + WA 228; VS 11, 82
To the king, the Sun, my lord: Message of Abi-Milku,
your servant, I fall at the feet of the king, my lord, 7 times and 7
times. I am the dirt under the sandals of the king, my lord, and the king
is the Eternal Sun.
Lines 7-17 - The king ordered that the breath of life
be given to his servant and to the servant of Mayati, and water: mi-ma be
given for his drink, but they have not acted in accordance with the
command of the king, my lord; they have not given these things. So my the
king give thought to the servant of Mayati, that water be given so he may
live.
Lines 17-23 - Moreover, O king, my lord, since there
is no wood, no water, no straw, no supplies, no burial for the dead, may
the king, my lord, take cognizance of the servant of Mayati, that life be
given to him.
Lines 24-39 - Should the king, my lord, give water to
drink to the servant of Mayati, then I will devote myself to his service
and that of Mayati, my mistress, night and day. Should I enter before the
king, my lord, I would be afraid: ir-x-x, and unable to speak, since the
king, the Sun, looked on. But the commissioner has not done what the king
has commanded. He does not give water, as the king commanded.
Lines 40-47 - So may the king take cognizance of his
servant and of Tyre, the city of Mayati, for whatever command has issued
from the mouth of the king to his servant, that he has done. They word of
the king goes: pa-ni-my (before him).
Lines 47-54 - The king is the Eternal Sun, and I am
the loyal servant of the king, my lord. The king charged me with
guarding the city of Mayati, my mistress ____ Moreover, my lord, since the
departure of the troops from me, I cannot go to land.
Lines 55-64 - Should a tablet of the king, my lord,
arrive, then I will approach the land. May the king, my lord, know the
sentiments of the entire land. May the king give attention to his servant
and to Tyre, the city of Mayati, so wood and water are given that he might
live.
Lines 65-71 - Moreover, my lord ____ the king should
inquire from his commissioner whether Sumur is settled. As the ruler of
Beirut has done service with one ship and the ruler of Sidon is doing
service with two ships, I will do service with all your ships. So may the
king give thought to his servant and protect the ships of the king with
all my city.
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EA17; From Tushratta, King of Mitanni to Nibmuaria (Amenhotep III)
To Nibmuaria, King of Egypt, my brother, say:
Thus says Tushratta, King of Mitanni, your brother. It is well with
me. May it be well with you; with Kelu-Heba [Tadu_Heba] (wife of
Amenhotep III), my sister, may it be well; with your household, your
wives, your sons, your nobles, your warriors, your horses, your
chariots, and throughout your land may it be very well.
When I
sat
upon my father's throne, I was still young, and Tuhi did evil to my
land, and he killed his lord. And, therefore, he did not treat me
well, nor the one who was on friendly terms with me. I, however,
especially because of those evils, which were perpetrated on my land,
made no delay; but the murderers of Artashumara, my brother, along
with all that they had, I killed.
Because you were friendly with my father, for
this reason I sent and spoke to you, so that my brother might hear of
this deed and rejoice. My father loved you, and you loved my father
still more. And my father, because of his love, has given my sister to
you. And who else stood with my father as you did? The very next year,
moreover, my brother's . . . the whole land of Hatti. As the enemy
came to my land, Teshub (a Hurrian storm-god), my lord, gave him into
my hand, and I destroyed him. And not one of them returned to his own
land.
Behold, one chariot, two horses, one male
servant, one female servant, out of the booty from the land of Hatti I
have sent you. And as a gift for my brother, five chariots (and) five
teams of horses I have sent you. And as a gift for Kelu-Heba, [Tadu_Heba[
my sister, one set of gold pins, one set of gold earrings, one gold
idol, and one container of "sweet oil." I have sent her.
Behold, Keliya, my sukkal (an official) along
with Tunip-ibri, I have sent. May my brother quickly dispatch them so
that they may quickly bring back word so that I may hear my brother's
greeting and rejoice. May my brother seek friendship with me, and may
my brother send his messengers so that they may bring my brother's
greeting and I may receive them.
EA23; From Tushratta, King of Mitanni to Nibmuaria (Amenhotep III)
To Nimmuaria, King of Egypt, my brother whom I
live and who loves me.
Thus speaks Tushratta, King of Mitanni who loves
you, your father-in-law. For me everything is well. May everything be
well for you, for your house, for Tadu-Heba, my daughter, your wife
whom you love. May everything be well for your wives, your sons, your
noblemen, your chariots, your horses, your soldiers, your country and
everything belonging to you. May everything be well, very well!
Thus speaks Shauskha (the goddess Ishtar) of
Nineveh, Lady of all the lands: I wish to go to Egypt, a land I love
and then return from there.
Now I am sending you this letter and She is on
the way [...] Then, in the times of my father (Shuttarna) She was in
that country, and just as on other occasions She stayed there and was
honoured. May my brother honour Her now ten times more than the other
time. May my brother honour Her. May you let Her leave when She
pleases, so She may return. May Shauskha, Lady of the Heavens, protect
us, my brother and myself, one hundred thousand years, and may our
Queen
grant
us both great joy and may we treat each other as friends. Is it
because Shauskha is my only Mistress? Maybe She is also the Mistress
of my brother?
.....the year 36, in the fourth month of winter,
on the first day. The king staying in the southern city, in Per Hai.
EA26; From Tushratta, King of Mitanni to Queen Tiye (widow of
Amenhotep III and mother of
Akhenaten)
To Tiye, Lady of Egypt. Thus speaks Tushratta,
King of Mitanni
Everything is well with me. May everything be
well with you. May everything go well for your house, your son (Akhenaten),
may everything be perfectly well for your soldiers and for everything
belonging to you.
You are the one who knows that I have always felt
friendship for Mimmuriya (Amenhotep III), your husband, and that
Mimmuriya, [Amenhotep III] your husband, on his part always felt
friendship for me. And the things that I wrote and told Mimmuriya,
your husband, and the things that Mimmuriya, your husband, on his part
wrote and told me incessantly, were known to you, Keliya and Mane. But
it is you who knows better than anybody, the things we have told each
other. No one knows them better...
You should continue sending joyful embassies, one
after another. Do not suppress them.
I shall not forget the friendship with Mimmuriya,
your husband. At this moment and more than ever, I have ten times more
friendship for your son, Napkhuria.
You are the one who knows the words of Mimmuriya,
your husband, but you have not sent me yet the gift of homage which
Mimmuriya, your husband, has ordered to be sent to me. I have asked
Mimmuriya, your husband, for massive gold statues ... But your son has
gold-plated statues of wood.As the gold is like dust in the country of
your son, why have they been the reason for such pain, that your son
should not have given them to me? ... Neither has he given me what his
father had been accustomed to give.
To Napkhuria, [Akheanten] king of Egypt, my brother, my
son-in-law, who loves me and whom I love, thus speaks Tushratta, king
of Mitanni, your father-in-law who loves you, your brother.
I am well. May you be well too. Your houses, Tiye
your mother, Lady of Egypt, Tadu-Heba, my daughter, your wife, your
other wives, your sons, your noblemen, your chariots, your horses,
your soldiers, your country and everything belonging to you, may they
all enjoy excellent health.
[1] Tiye: Wife of Amenhotep III
[2] Tiye's son: Akhenaten
[3] Mimmuriya (Nimmuaria, Nibmuaria): Amenhotep III Neb-maat-re
[4] Napkhuria: Akhenaten Nefer-khepru-re |
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Amarna during excavations
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| TOMBS
Necropolis of the Nobles at Armana:
Located in Middle Egypt, the Tombs of the
Nobles at Amarna are the burial places of some of
the powerful courtiers and persons of the ancient city of
Akhetaten.
The tombs are gathered into two areas, known as the
Northern and Southern tombs. They are cut into the cliffs and
bluffs in the east of the dry bay of Akhetaten. There are 25
major
tombs, many of them decorated and with their owners name, some
are small and unfinished, others modest and unassuming. Each
seems to reflect the personality and patronage of the tomb's
original owner. Some the tombs were open later in antiquity, and
were used as burial places in the Ptolemaic times, store houses,
houses and as coptic churches.
North Tombs
These tombs are split into to 2 groups by a Wadi, and are
near to one of the Boundary Stelae, Stelae V. They are situated
on the north-east side of the desert plain, where the cliff
reaches a height of about 85 metres (280 feet). They lie at the
base of the abrupt part of the cliff face, but at the top of a
steep slope of looser rock. The cliff is cut by a ravine which
divides the tombs into two groups. The more important group
(nos. 3 to 6) lies to the south, and most visitors confine their
visit to it. A path (fitted with modern steps and benches at
intervals) takes one straight up to nos. 3 to 5, a compact
group, but no. 6 has to be reached either by a separate path up,
or by a narrow track along the cliff face. The six numbered
tombs are protected by iron doors. Several more rock tombs were
begun, to the north of tomb 3. These do not have separate
numbers and are open. These tombs in the North Necropolis of
Amarna belonged to some of the most prominent men at Akhenaten’s
court, including the two most senior priests (Meryra and Panehsy).
Tomb 1: The tomb of Huya. (see picture
above of workmen)
Tomb 2: The tomb of Meryra II.
Tomb 3: The tomb of Ahmes (also spelled
Ahmose).
Tomb 4: The tomb of Meryra (also called
Meryre I).
Tomb 5: The tomb of Penthu. It is cross
shaped, containing a long outer hall, and a long trasverse hall,
containing the burial shaft and a now destroyed shrine to Penthu.
Only the outer hall is decorated.
Tomb 6: The tomb of Panehsy.
South Tombs
This is the larger of the two groups of tombs, containing
19 numbered tombs (nos. 7–25). They are cut into the flanks of a
low plateau in front of a major break in the cliffs. The rock is
of very poor quality. It is, however, a convenient location from
the main residential part of the ancient city. The tombs
belonged to a broader range of officials than those in the
north, from a chief of police (no. 9), to the "God's Father" Ay,
who was later to become king (no. 25).
Tomb 7: The tomb of Parennefer, who had
another tomb in Thebes, Egypt.
Tomb 7a: The owner of this tomb is
unknown.
Tomb 7b: The owner of this tomb is
unknown.
Tomb 7c: The owner of this tomb is
unknown.
Tomb 8: The tomb of Tutu.
Tomb 9: The tomb of Mahu.
Tomb 9a: The owner of this tomb is
unknown.
Tomb 9b: The owner of this tomb is
unknown.
Tomb 9c: The owner of this tomb is
unknown.
Tomb 10: The tomb of Ipy.
Tomb 11: The tomb of Ramose.
Tomb 12: The tomb of Nekhtpaaten.
Tomb 13: The tomb of
Neferkheperuhesekheper.
Tomb 14: The tomb of May.
Tomb 15: The tomb of Suti.
Tomb 16: The owner of this tomb is
unknown.
Tomb 17: The owner of this tomb is
unknown.
Tomb 18: The owner of this tomb is
unknown.
Tomb 19: The tomb of Satau.
Tomb 20: The owner of this tomb is
unknown.
Tomb 21: The owner of this tomb is
unknown.
Tomb 22: The owner of this tomb is
unknown.
Tomb 23: The tomb of Any.
Tomb 24: The tomb of Paatenemheb.
Tomb 25: The tomb of Ay, a future pharaoh
of Ancient Egypt.
Tomb 25a The tomb of Ia
Artistic Features of the Royal Wadi of Amarna
They are some notable differences between the North and
the South tomb of Amarna. The design of the tombs tend to be
more varied in the south than those in the north. Accordingly
tombs of the Northern site tend to be more imposing in size.
All tombs feature beautifully carved reliefs depicting
various scenes. All decorated tombs feature many beautiful
popular scenes such as domesticated animals and their use in
Egyptian daily life. The horse is particularly depicted with
majesty and elegance almost occupying the most prominent place
in some scenes.
 The
recipients of the tombs are also depicted with their due
prominence within the Egyptian society they lived and operated
in. They are depicted in action within the confinement of their
respective profession. Such is the case in the first picture
where Mahu, the chief of police of Akhenaten (tomb 9) is
depicted leading his men in praise of the king as the latter
rides past. The horse is wearing a crown and represents the
royal horse carrying the pharaoh, although the latter is now
replaced by a blast on the relief. It can also be noted how the
more details a person is depicted with, the more important he or
she is.
 And
the benificiaries of the tombs are also represented within
religious dispositions, making offerings to the one God Aten and
prayers such as the Hymn to Athen. The third scene representing
Ay depicts such a manner, although he later ruled as a pharaoh
after Tutankhamen, at a time when the mutitude of deities
worshipped before came back into the official religious sphere.
It is also to be noted that these tombs do not feature
much painting work, unlike the tombs in the Valley of the Kings
for instance. It seems that the resources in skills devoted to
tomb crafting, were so scarce that even prominent officials of
the time of Akhenaten could not afford tomb painting.
FROM:
http://www.sacred-egypt.com/ancient_egypt/tombs/nobles_amarna.html
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Reconstruction of the tomb of
Akhenaten according to
Reeves & Wilkinson: The complete Valley of the
Kings
and Aldred : Akhenaten, King of Egypt.
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English
translation
by Jim Ashton |
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The royal tomb was discovered in the 1890’s. Its
relatively late discovery was due to its location,
very far removed (about 6 Km.) from the site of
Akhetaten, at the end of the “Royal Wadi”, the
entrance to which is situated in an indentation in the
cliff between the groups of northerly and southerly
private tombs.
The entrance to the royal tomb is at the ground level
of a side valley and faces to the east where the Aten
rises each day. This event, the rising of the sun and
the awakening of the life of the temple and its
worshipers is one of the (unusual) themes shown on the
reliefs carved on the walls of the interior rooms. The
arrangement of the tomb, like its decoration, diverge
wildly from the types in use in the tombs of preceding
kings of the dynasty. The tomb takes the form of a
long, wide corridor, the descent into which is via two
steep staircases separated by a long sloping passage
inside the flank of the hill, with a length of 28
metres, finally opening into an antechamber giving
access to the funeral chamber. The antechamber is
located at the foot of the second staircase and opens,
via a door, onto the “protective well” whose upper
room is decorated. From this room, we arrive directly
at the door of the funeral chamber.
To the side, two “suites” have been cut in the cliff
which is quite unusual.
At present, the tomb is in a lamentable state due to
the pillage it suffered after the king’s death and
also at the end of the 19th century.
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THE ENTRANCE AND THE CORRIDOR |
The wide (3.2 m) entrance opens to the east and we
descend directly into the corridor via a
ramp-staircase, the first of the New Kingdom.
The first corridor is immense and combines the two
first passages of a “standard” royal tomb. It ends
with a second ramp-staircase, a characteristic which
we do not see again until the reign of Ramses II This
leads directly to the well.
The theological change inferred by this corridor has
(rightly) been stressed. In contrast with earlier
tombs, this one has a median axis leading directly to
the sarcophagus chamber with no angle. This fact has
been interpreted as being the wish to allow the
deceased to come out directly into the daylight, which
is plausible. On the other hand, it has been suggested
that this orientation permits the rays of the rising
sun to reach the sarcophagus which is hardly tenable
because, for one thing, the tomb was closed, so the
sun could not penetrate in any case (strangely, I have
never seen this simple explanation expressed
anywhere). In addition, the sarcophagus was not at the
middle of the room but offset to one side, so the
sun’s rays couldn’t have reached it anyway.
The well is wider and shallower than usual (about 3
m.) The walls of the room which form the upper part of
the well were once plastered, then decorated with
reliefs and inscriptions but all that remains today
simply shows that the entrance was flanked by two
carefully carved reliefs showing floral bouquets.
Among the other scenes in the well chamber were
representations of the king and queen making offerings
to the Aten with the eldest princess at the end of the
walls. We thus see that the well chamber, apart from
protecting against devastating floods and rare but
violent storms, also had a symbolic function.
Leaving this room, we arrive directly at the door to
the funeral chamber.
This had been sealed with a wall of limestone bricks
which later served as a fill to fill up the well and
bring out the funerary equipment for transport
elsewhere. This proves that inhumations occurred in
the tomb, that of Akhenaten himself, his daughter
Maketaten and his mother, Tiy.
The funeral chamber is an impressive square hall with
sides of about 10 mtres and a height of 3.5 metres. Is
excavation included arranging for a platform on the
left of about 33cm in height on which stand the
remains of two square pillars. The masons had just
begun to cut a passage to another room at the corner
furthest from the right-hand wall to serve as another
“suite” for a new burial.
The reliefs and inscriptions carved on the plastered
walls of this room were almost entirely erased a short
time after the death of the king. Traces of
inscriptions near the ceiling, in an extremely fragile
state, give the names and titles of the Aten,
Akhenaten and Nefertiti. With difficulty we recognise
in, the scenes which were once there, the usual
ceremonies of offerings to the Aten, at which the
royal family officiated, of enormous quantities of
food, drink and flowers piled up on the altars of the
Aten. Pieces of furniture and funerary equipment
destined for the use of the deceased also appeared in
these scenes. On the other hand, in conformity with
the ideology of the Aten, which rejected the “ Books
of the Hereafter”, the funeral chamber contains hardly
any texts. Among the rare ones recognisable, we notice
the great frequency of the cartouche of the queen
Nefertiti, which underscores her very important
liturgical role.
 In
addition to the main rooms in the tomb, two different
series of rooms were excavated. One of them opens off
the descending corridor, half way down in the right
wall while the other begins at the end of the corridor
at the point where it opens into the antechamber. The
group situated at the higher level is absolutely
unique. From the first corridor, a suite has been
excavated (but not finished) which comprises three
corridors one after the other giving access to a suite
of three rooms. This suite is unfinished and of a worn
appearance but closely resembles a royal tomb in
layout, including the presence of a descending access
corridor. The potential occupant (s) are Queen Tiy,
[Tiye] mother of Akhenaten, one of his daughters or a
Great Royal Queen.
Facing the entrance to this suite, on the left wall of
the main corridor, a start has been made on the
carving of a door which should have opened,
apparently, on another suite of rooms but its
excavation was never followed up. A similar
arrangement is found at the lower end of the main
corridor: on the left, a door has been sketched in (recognisable
from some initial cut grooves) whereas, opposite, a
passage has been excavated leading to a suite of three
rooms, each leading into the next.
The
suite of three rooms leading off the bottom of the
descending corridor on the right has been named “the
suite of Maketaten” because these three rooms,
traditionally designated alpha, beta & gamma (here, A,
B & C) seem to be related to the death of this
princess. This has recently been contested but without
proof. All the reliefs are badly damaged. When the
French epigraphists began to copy the reliefs in rooms
alpha and gamma in 1894, the scenes were practically
complete. Now they are little more than ghostly
sketches.
 Room
A is square. It has sides of about 5.5 metres and a
height of 3 metres. All the walls have been finished
and decorated with painted reliefs. Two long scenes
show the royal family with five of their daughters
making offering in the courtyard of a temple while the
Aten rises on the wall and sets on the opposite wall.
Passageways interrupt the other walls but they carry
reliefs showing chariot drivers who have accompanied
the worshipers and are waiting for them outside,
before the temple doors, together with their military
escort. Other scenes show the king and queen in a room
weeping at the death of a woman- queen or princess-
laid out on a funeral couch. The Aten is shining into
the room but in an identical scene, just above, the
shining solar disc is missing which may indicate a
night watch.
Outside the room the mourners lament and throw dust on
their heads. A Vizier figures among the people in
tears. He is recognisable by his long, puffy robe. A
wet nurse is leaving the funeral chamber. She is
carrying a small child whose high rank is indicated by
the presence of a fan-bearer. This scene has been
interpreted as showing the grief of the royal family
on the premature death of a princess. A special
quality of the reliefs resides in the fact that
certain portrayals have been re-carved in order to
temper the unflattering artistic style of the first
years of the reign.
Room
B is anepigraphic: it may have been a storeroom.
Room
C is the smallest of the three. It is 3.5 metres
square and its height is 1.8 metres. It has every
appearance of having been designed as a funeral
chamber.
One of its walls carries, in its decoration, reliefs
showing the funerary furniture, but the main
characteristic resides in the presence, in the reliefs
on another wall of another deathbed scene similar to
that in room A. The dead princess is Maketaten (her
name is given). She rests on a funeral couch in a
bedroom but her image and her name have been erased.
She is mourned by her weeping parents while, outside
the funeral chamber, stands a wet nurse breast-feeding
a small child, which she holds in her arms (and who
might be identified as Tutankhamun, though without
proof), followed by two fan-bearers. A large group of
courtesans, ladies-in-waiting and officials join in
the lamentations, their attitudes denoting great
grief.
On the opposite wall, a scene associated with the
previous one shows the king and queen followed by the
four surviving princesses and a group of mourners
throwing dust on their heads.
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FUNERARY EQUIPMENT, MUMMIES AND
THEIR FATE |
A series of fragments of pink granite belong to the
king’s sarcophagus while another group, this time in
grey granite, came from the lid. There were also
pieces of another sarcophagus of red granite with a
grey granite lid, which belonged to a woman. May we
presume princess Maketaten, whose death and funeral
are displayed in room C.
Anyway, the two sarcophagi were smashed into small
pieces and spread around over a large area. The losses
were so great during this operation that it was
impossible to restore the two monuments completely.
Nevertheless, we can get a good idea of the appearance
of the king’s sarcophagus (see below). Its
reconstruction shows that it had representations of
the queen Nefertiti, sculpted in high relief and
extending protective arms at each corner of the
monument in the likeness of the guardian goddesses of
the four corners.
It is not so easy to identify the occupant of the
other sarcophagus but the names of Akhenaten,
Amenhotep III, Nefertiti, Tiy and Merytaten appear
beside that of Maketaten on fragments of the trough
and the lid.
Funeral servants (shabtis)
have also been found. Their presence remains a mystery
as they are an Osirian practice and Osiris was totally
banned in the Armarnian religion.
The tomb was not the
last resting place of Akhenaten. His successor,
Tutankhamun had his mummy and part of the funerary
material transported to Thebes, certainly for
protection. It seems the, nowadays, the occupant of
tomb KV55 in the Valley of the kings is Akhenaten, or,
at least, this is how it is described by the Egyptian
Museum in Cairo. (But that has caused more
controversy…. Smenkhare and Tiy have also been
suggested).
If you are interested in kv55 and the saga of the gold
leaves from the base of one of the sarcophagi, found
in Munich, here are 4 sites :
TMP,
William Max Miller,
Ian Bolton, the
Cairo Museum.
©Thierry Benderitter 2003
Text from:
http://www.osirisnet.net/tombes/amarna/akhenaton/e_akhentomb.htm
MORE PHOTOS AT: |
http://www.osirisnet.net/tombes/amarna/akhenaton/e_akhentomb.htm
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