Post by hi224 on Jan 14, 2021 19:09:23 GMT
Early Life:
Neferneferuaten Nefertiti, whose name translates to “A/The Beautiful Woman Has Come,” was born sometime around 1370 BC. Her parentage is unknown, but she may have been a princess of Mitanni, a northern Syrian state, or the daughter of Ay, who would rule as pharaoh after the death of Tutankhamun (better known as King Tut); this theory, however, is controversial, as Nefertiti was never explicitly referred to as the daughter of Ay and his wife Tey, though some have proposed the existence of another wife, Luy, before Tey. Some also believe that Nefertiti was the full sister of her husband, the Pharaoh Akhenaten, whom she wed in an unknown year, likely soon after he took the throne. The relationship seems to have been a happy one—by the standards of the Egyptian royal family at the time, at least—and there are numerous depictions of Nefertiti and Akhenaten together during his early reign. Some artwork even suggests that she may have been considered a living fertility goddess.
Akhenaten’s rule was controversial; rather than worship the traditional Egyptian Gods, he averted worship towards Aten—‘the disc of the sun,’ and an aspect of Ra—and changed many aspects of Egyptian life. Nefertiti and Akhenaten had at least an unknown number of daughters (probably around seven or eight, but at least six), at least one of whom Akhenaten may have taken as a wife, and two of whom became queens of Egypt.
Coregency & First disappearance:
Things start to get a bit more dicey around here, as even fewer records exist. Several years before Akhenaten’s death, around 1338 or 1336, Nefertiti advanced in importance. Prior to year 16 (Egyptian royal years), she was still listed in records as “Akhenaten’s Great Royal Wife.” Afterward, however, around 1338 or 1336, Nefertiti seems to have become a co-regent. This is corroborated by the existence of the “Coregency Stela” discovered in a tomb in Amarna. Here, Nefertiti is depicted with figures of other rulers, leading many to consider it evidence of Nefertiti’s co-regency and status as Akhenaten’s successor. Interestingly, her name has been chiseled out and replaced with that of Ankhkheperure Neferneferuaten, a short-lived pharaoh who ruled after Akhenaten and who, as will be discussed, many believe to be Nefertiti herself. During her husband’s rule, however, Nefertiti possessed unprecedented power, as a priest of Aten (highly unusual for a woman) and a valued political player. This increasing power is demonstrated in several works of Egyptian art, where Nefertiti is shown with motifs generally reserved for pharaohs. She also made extensive use of epithets like “effective for her husband,” suggesting an attempt to appear more legitimate as a successor. Interestingly, many historians once thought that Nefertiti disappeared around this time, due mostly to the lack of records and artwork from this time that mentioned her. It was only with the rediscovery of an inscription discovered in a limestone quarry in 2012 that showed she was still alive and using her original name—this massively changed everything we thought we knew about Nefertiti and her life and led to a revision of almost every theory considered definitive.
Rule?:
Things were going well in Egypt. Then, around 1336 or 1334 BC, Akhenaten died. Unfortunately, his tomb was desecrated relatively soon after, resulting in the loss of a valuable source of information about his life and Nefertiti’s. One of his coregents, Smenkhkare may have ruled for a year or so, but after that, a new pharaoh took the throne: Neferneferuaten. Originally, Smenkhkare was believed to be the same person as Neferneferuaten and/or Nefertiti, but recent historians believe they were separate people who ruled close together. Little is known about Neferneferuaten, save that they are believed to be a woman who ruled toward the end of the Amarna period after Akhenaten’s death. Although several identities have been suggested for Neferneferuaten, many now believe that this pharaoh was none other than Nefertiti.
The similarities in the two’s names are an obvious point in favor of this theory, as well as the previously mentioned power and influence Nefertiti held. Like Nefertiti, Neferneferuaten also used epithets relating to to Akhenaten, probably for legitimacy. Although this theory was originally dismissed, as Nefertiti was believed to have died after Year 12, we now know that she lived past that time, into at least Year 16. Maddeningly, the Coregency Stela that could solve this mystery—if it were not so damaged. On it, Nefertiti’s name has been replaced with Neferneferuaten’s. If her face was also replaced by a different one, it would prove that Nefertiti and Neferneferuaten are two separate entities, and if it was not, with only a new crown added, it would prove that they are the same. Unfortunately, her image is missing completely. Other possible identities have been suggested for Neferneferuaten, including Nefertiti’s daughter Meritaten.
If Nefertiti was indeed Neferneferuaten, many things remain unclear about the exact dates of her reign. Just how long was she co-regent, if she really was co-regent? When did she take the throne as sole ruler, and for how long did she rule? Was she also Smenkhkare? What ended her rule?
Death & Burial:
As previously mentioned, many of the old theories surrounding Nefertiti’s disappearance and death were disproved with the discovery of the quarry inscription. Now, the circumstances and dates of her death, as well as her withdrawal from public life, are almost a complete mystery, and unless a miraculous new discovery is made, it is likely that they will remain that way. Various theories have been disproven, such as her dying in Year 12. But many theories remain, such as murder, death in childbirth, death from disease, retirement, disfavor by Akhenaton, and so on.
Neferneferuaten is believed to have been succeeded by the eight-year-old Tutankhamun. If Nefertiti was still alive when he took the throne, she may have exercised some influence over him; whatever the case, it would have been gone by the third year of his reign, when he changed his name from Tutankhaten to Tutankhamun and seems to have reversed Akhenaten’s policy of worshiping Aten. This return to the old religion has led some to believe that Nefertiti was murdered by disgruntled priests who resented the worship of Aten, rather than the traditional pantheon. Interestingly, many of the artifacts in the tomb of Tutankhamun—almost 80%— seem to have been originally intended for Neferneferuaten; even his famous gold mask bears the inscription "Ankheperure mery-Neferkheperure" or “Ankheperure beloved of Akhenaten,” suggesting it was made for Nefertiti, whose royal name was Ankheperure. The fact that the funerary goods were repurposed implies that either Neferneferuaten was deposed in a struggle for power, or that they were buried in the funerary equipment of another king.
As inscribed on the Boundary Stelae of Akhenaten, a group of monuments carved into a cliff in Upper Egypt, Nefertiti was intended to be interred in the Royal Tomb of Akhenaten, but since her husband died first, she was not. Several unfinished tombs have also been suggested as possible intended resting places. In 1898, two female mummies—the ‘Elder Lady’ and the ‘Younger Lady’ were discovered in the tomb of Amenhotep ll in the Valley of the Kings; though the ‘Elder Lady’ has been excluded, some believe that the ‘Younger Lady’ could be Nefertiti, though this is contradicted by DNA analysis showing that the ‘Younger Lady’ was Tutankhamun’s biological mother, which Nefertiti almost certainly was not. The ‘Younger Lady’ is also believed to be too young to be Nefertiti. In 2015, an archaeologist claimed to have discovered filled-in doorways in Tutankhamun’s tomb and posited that they could be Nefertiti’s tomb, but this was disproved by radar scans.
In all likelihood, Nefertiti is one of any number of unidentified mummies in the Valley of Kings, but which she is may never be known.
Final Thoughts & Questions:
We know very little about Queen Nefertiti. This is not due only to age, but to deliberate attempts from later kings to erase her period of history—the Amarna Period—from history. Until 1912, when the Bust of Nefertiti was discovered in a ruined workshop in Germany, her name had been forgotten almost entirely. In the case of Nefertiti, as well as many of her contemporaries, there’s no shortage of theories; the issue is the lack of conclusive proof.
Who were Nefertiti’s parents? Her children? Was she an Egyptian or a foreigner?
How much power did she wield? Was she a co-regent to her husband?
What was the identity of Neferneferuaten? Was Neferneferuaten Nefertiti?
How did Nefertiti die, when did she die, and where is she entombed, if she is entombed at all?
I apologize for the abundance of names here; I confused even myself writing this, but it couldn’t be helped. As always, I am not a historian nor am I an Egyptologist, so I apologize for any mistakes (and my newly discovered inability to spell the word pharaoh). Egyptian history is shockingly complicated, but I was really curious to see some discussion about Nefertiti. There’s a lot I had to leave out, so if you’re interested, there are more complete overviews in my sources.
Sources:
oi.uchicago.edu/sites/oi.uchicago.edu/files/uploads/shared/docs/saoc40.pdf
www.ancient-origins.net/unexplained-phenomena/mysterious-disappearance-nefertiti-ruler-nile-001988
www.britannica.com/biography/Nefertiti
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neferneferuaten
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akhenaten
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nefertiti
www.crystalinks.com/Nefertiti.html
Neferneferuaten Nefertiti, whose name translates to “A/The Beautiful Woman Has Come,” was born sometime around 1370 BC. Her parentage is unknown, but she may have been a princess of Mitanni, a northern Syrian state, or the daughter of Ay, who would rule as pharaoh after the death of Tutankhamun (better known as King Tut); this theory, however, is controversial, as Nefertiti was never explicitly referred to as the daughter of Ay and his wife Tey, though some have proposed the existence of another wife, Luy, before Tey. Some also believe that Nefertiti was the full sister of her husband, the Pharaoh Akhenaten, whom she wed in an unknown year, likely soon after he took the throne. The relationship seems to have been a happy one—by the standards of the Egyptian royal family at the time, at least—and there are numerous depictions of Nefertiti and Akhenaten together during his early reign. Some artwork even suggests that she may have been considered a living fertility goddess.
Akhenaten’s rule was controversial; rather than worship the traditional Egyptian Gods, he averted worship towards Aten—‘the disc of the sun,’ and an aspect of Ra—and changed many aspects of Egyptian life. Nefertiti and Akhenaten had at least an unknown number of daughters (probably around seven or eight, but at least six), at least one of whom Akhenaten may have taken as a wife, and two of whom became queens of Egypt.
Coregency & First disappearance:
Things start to get a bit more dicey around here, as even fewer records exist. Several years before Akhenaten’s death, around 1338 or 1336, Nefertiti advanced in importance. Prior to year 16 (Egyptian royal years), she was still listed in records as “Akhenaten’s Great Royal Wife.” Afterward, however, around 1338 or 1336, Nefertiti seems to have become a co-regent. This is corroborated by the existence of the “Coregency Stela” discovered in a tomb in Amarna. Here, Nefertiti is depicted with figures of other rulers, leading many to consider it evidence of Nefertiti’s co-regency and status as Akhenaten’s successor. Interestingly, her name has been chiseled out and replaced with that of Ankhkheperure Neferneferuaten, a short-lived pharaoh who ruled after Akhenaten and who, as will be discussed, many believe to be Nefertiti herself. During her husband’s rule, however, Nefertiti possessed unprecedented power, as a priest of Aten (highly unusual for a woman) and a valued political player. This increasing power is demonstrated in several works of Egyptian art, where Nefertiti is shown with motifs generally reserved for pharaohs. She also made extensive use of epithets like “effective for her husband,” suggesting an attempt to appear more legitimate as a successor. Interestingly, many historians once thought that Nefertiti disappeared around this time, due mostly to the lack of records and artwork from this time that mentioned her. It was only with the rediscovery of an inscription discovered in a limestone quarry in 2012 that showed she was still alive and using her original name—this massively changed everything we thought we knew about Nefertiti and her life and led to a revision of almost every theory considered definitive.
Rule?:
Things were going well in Egypt. Then, around 1336 or 1334 BC, Akhenaten died. Unfortunately, his tomb was desecrated relatively soon after, resulting in the loss of a valuable source of information about his life and Nefertiti’s. One of his coregents, Smenkhkare may have ruled for a year or so, but after that, a new pharaoh took the throne: Neferneferuaten. Originally, Smenkhkare was believed to be the same person as Neferneferuaten and/or Nefertiti, but recent historians believe they were separate people who ruled close together. Little is known about Neferneferuaten, save that they are believed to be a woman who ruled toward the end of the Amarna period after Akhenaten’s death. Although several identities have been suggested for Neferneferuaten, many now believe that this pharaoh was none other than Nefertiti.
The similarities in the two’s names are an obvious point in favor of this theory, as well as the previously mentioned power and influence Nefertiti held. Like Nefertiti, Neferneferuaten also used epithets relating to to Akhenaten, probably for legitimacy. Although this theory was originally dismissed, as Nefertiti was believed to have died after Year 12, we now know that she lived past that time, into at least Year 16. Maddeningly, the Coregency Stela that could solve this mystery—if it were not so damaged. On it, Nefertiti’s name has been replaced with Neferneferuaten’s. If her face was also replaced by a different one, it would prove that Nefertiti and Neferneferuaten are two separate entities, and if it was not, with only a new crown added, it would prove that they are the same. Unfortunately, her image is missing completely. Other possible identities have been suggested for Neferneferuaten, including Nefertiti’s daughter Meritaten.
If Nefertiti was indeed Neferneferuaten, many things remain unclear about the exact dates of her reign. Just how long was she co-regent, if she really was co-regent? When did she take the throne as sole ruler, and for how long did she rule? Was she also Smenkhkare? What ended her rule?
Death & Burial:
As previously mentioned, many of the old theories surrounding Nefertiti’s disappearance and death were disproved with the discovery of the quarry inscription. Now, the circumstances and dates of her death, as well as her withdrawal from public life, are almost a complete mystery, and unless a miraculous new discovery is made, it is likely that they will remain that way. Various theories have been disproven, such as her dying in Year 12. But many theories remain, such as murder, death in childbirth, death from disease, retirement, disfavor by Akhenaton, and so on.
Neferneferuaten is believed to have been succeeded by the eight-year-old Tutankhamun. If Nefertiti was still alive when he took the throne, she may have exercised some influence over him; whatever the case, it would have been gone by the third year of his reign, when he changed his name from Tutankhaten to Tutankhamun and seems to have reversed Akhenaten’s policy of worshiping Aten. This return to the old religion has led some to believe that Nefertiti was murdered by disgruntled priests who resented the worship of Aten, rather than the traditional pantheon. Interestingly, many of the artifacts in the tomb of Tutankhamun—almost 80%— seem to have been originally intended for Neferneferuaten; even his famous gold mask bears the inscription "Ankheperure mery-Neferkheperure" or “Ankheperure beloved of Akhenaten,” suggesting it was made for Nefertiti, whose royal name was Ankheperure. The fact that the funerary goods were repurposed implies that either Neferneferuaten was deposed in a struggle for power, or that they were buried in the funerary equipment of another king.
As inscribed on the Boundary Stelae of Akhenaten, a group of monuments carved into a cliff in Upper Egypt, Nefertiti was intended to be interred in the Royal Tomb of Akhenaten, but since her husband died first, she was not. Several unfinished tombs have also been suggested as possible intended resting places. In 1898, two female mummies—the ‘Elder Lady’ and the ‘Younger Lady’ were discovered in the tomb of Amenhotep ll in the Valley of the Kings; though the ‘Elder Lady’ has been excluded, some believe that the ‘Younger Lady’ could be Nefertiti, though this is contradicted by DNA analysis showing that the ‘Younger Lady’ was Tutankhamun’s biological mother, which Nefertiti almost certainly was not. The ‘Younger Lady’ is also believed to be too young to be Nefertiti. In 2015, an archaeologist claimed to have discovered filled-in doorways in Tutankhamun’s tomb and posited that they could be Nefertiti’s tomb, but this was disproved by radar scans.
In all likelihood, Nefertiti is one of any number of unidentified mummies in the Valley of Kings, but which she is may never be known.
Final Thoughts & Questions:
We know very little about Queen Nefertiti. This is not due only to age, but to deliberate attempts from later kings to erase her period of history—the Amarna Period—from history. Until 1912, when the Bust of Nefertiti was discovered in a ruined workshop in Germany, her name had been forgotten almost entirely. In the case of Nefertiti, as well as many of her contemporaries, there’s no shortage of theories; the issue is the lack of conclusive proof.
Who were Nefertiti’s parents? Her children? Was she an Egyptian or a foreigner?
How much power did she wield? Was she a co-regent to her husband?
What was the identity of Neferneferuaten? Was Neferneferuaten Nefertiti?
How did Nefertiti die, when did she die, and where is she entombed, if she is entombed at all?
I apologize for the abundance of names here; I confused even myself writing this, but it couldn’t be helped. As always, I am not a historian nor am I an Egyptologist, so I apologize for any mistakes (and my newly discovered inability to spell the word pharaoh). Egyptian history is shockingly complicated, but I was really curious to see some discussion about Nefertiti. There’s a lot I had to leave out, so if you’re interested, there are more complete overviews in my sources.
Sources:
oi.uchicago.edu/sites/oi.uchicago.edu/files/uploads/shared/docs/saoc40.pdf
www.ancient-origins.net/unexplained-phenomena/mysterious-disappearance-nefertiti-ruler-nile-001988
www.britannica.com/biography/Nefertiti
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neferneferuaten
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akhenaten
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nefertiti
www.crystalinks.com/Nefertiti.html
