The pharaoh-queen'Late in Akhenaten's reign a mysterious pharaoh-queen appears...' Late in Akhenaten's reign a mysterious pharaoh-queen appears, whose identity has often been confused with that of King Smenkhare. The pharaoh-queen's coronation name is Ankh(et)kheperure Neferneferuaten. Although not consistently, her name sometimes appears in a feminine form, which is how we can be sure that we are dealing with a woman. In seeking to identify the pharaoh-queen, modern archaeologists have suggested three candidates. One possibility is Akhenaten's secondary wife, Kiya. However, the mutilation of Kiya's monuments indicate that she had fallen from grace. A second possibility is Nefertiti herself. However, a funerary figurine found at Amarna bearing Nefertiti's name indicates that she must have died before her husband. This leaves Merytaten, Akhenaten's daughter as the most likely candidate.
A line drawing of a stela from Berlin, depicting
Akhenaten with the pharaoh-queen
The striking thing is that this description was in fact a common epithet used for the goddess Isis, when emphasising her role as widow of the god Osiris. In other words it is an epithet that makes reference to the traditional gods, abandoned during Akhenaten's reign and only restored after his death. So the use of this epithet suggests that this queen-pharaoh reigned after the death of Akhenaten, but had herself depicted and described as ruling alongside him as his fictitious 'co-regent'. In another example, a jewel from Tutankhamun's tomb, again referring to this 'king' as 'she who is beneficent to her husband', clearly evokes traditional theological imagery. The epithet post-dates the death of Akhenaten, who kept his monotheistic faith until the end. FROM: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/amarna_05.shtml 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 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 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 ostraw, 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 ofo 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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| The three eldest girls -- Meritaten, Meketaten, and Ankhesenpaaten -- were the "Senior Princesses;" as each was born she accompanied her parents in various statues and reliefs around the new city. All of the girls were treasured, but Meritaten -- Mayati -- as the eldest, seems to have been the family favorite. By year 12 (or even as early as year 10) they had been joined by three "Junior Princesses," Nefernefruaten ta-Sherit (named after Nefertiti), Nefernefrure, and Setepenre. These girls are less visible then their elder sisters, and appear only in tombs of nobles and in decorations in the palace -- the elder three were portrayed all over Akhet-Aten. Also in this time, another prince makes an appearance. During the years 7-9, little Prince Tutankhaten was born. He is closely related to Smenkhkare, and was probably a brother or half-brother of the elder prince. Tutankhaten's parents were possibly Akhenaten and Kiya, but there are other theories as well. |