Custom search
Enter
Registration
Authorization
No account?
Register now!
Login *
Password *
Remember me
Remind me of my password
Remind me of my username
Registering a new user
Fields marked with an asterisk ( * ) are required.
Name *
Login *
Password *
Confirm password *
Email *
E mail *
Verification code *
Reload Captcha
Registration
Register or log in using the social network.networks to get advanced features
Main
The Pharaohs
00 Dynasty
0 Dynasty
I Dynasty
II Dynasty
III Dynasty
IV Dynasty
V Dynasty
VI Dynasty
VII Dynasty
VIII Dynasty
IX Dynasty
X Dynasty
XI Dynasty
XII Dynasty
XIII Dynasty
XIV Dynasty
XV Dynasty
XVI Dynasty
Abydos
XVII Dynasty
XVIII Dynasty
XIX Dynasty
XX Dynasty
XXI Dynasty
XXII Dynasty
XXIII Dynasty
XXIV Dynasty
XXV Dynasty
XXVI Dynasty
XXVII Dynasty
XXVIII Dynasty
XXIX Dynasty
XXX Dynasty
Macedonian
The Ptolemies
Categories
Chronology
The Pharaohs
Queens
Dynasties
Religion
The Gods
Priests
Society
Calendar
Crafts
Crowns
Architecture
Valley of the Kings
Art
Statues
Literature
Map of Egypt
Egyptology
Media Center
Video materials
About the project
Print
E mail
Facebook
Twitter
My world
Vkontakte
Classmates
Google+
Tutankhamun
The article is located in the categories
Chronology
Dynastic Egypt
The New Kingdom
XVIII Dynasty
The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt
26
+22
4
The content of the article Names and titles The origin of the Pharaoh Tutankhamun, as the son of Amenhotep III Tutankhamun, as the son of Smenkhkar Tutankhamun, as the son of Akhenaten and Kiya DNA testing
Board of Religious Restoration
The development of art under Tutankhamun The first stage: the legacy of Amarna The second stage: a return to tradition
Famous officials under Tutankhamun The death of the Pharaoh Subsequent events
Discovery of the tomb Discovery and excavation of the remains of the Pharaoh and objects in the tomb The Curse of Tutankhamun
Tutankhamun in modern culture Film and television Other references
The translation of the article from Spanish and English was carried out for the project "Egyptopedia".
This text is the author's property.
If you want to post this article on your website, please place an active link to the site "Egyptopedia.info"
The funeral mask of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, now stored in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
Made of gold with inlaid inserts of turquoise and glass, it is the most famous example of the art of Ancient Egypt
ebheperura Tutankhamun was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh who belonged to the XVIII Dynasty of the New Kingdom era and ruled from 1336/1335 to 1327/1325 BC.His original name "Tutankhaton", meaning "The Living image of Aton", was later changed to "Tutankhamun" ("The Living image of Amon").
He is probably mentioned in the cuneiform version of the Amarna Letters as "Nibhurrerea", and the historian Manetho in his works calls this king by the name "Ratotis", "Ratos" or "Atoris", who ruled for nine years.
Although formally the XVIII Dynasty ceased to exist with the reign of Horemheb, modern Egyptologists agree that the young Tutankhamun was the last pharaoh of the dynasty, in whose veins royal blood flowed.
He ascended the throne in the so called "Amarna period" and returned to the hands of the priests of Amun the former influence that they had before the religious and political revolution of Akhenaten.
During his short reign, the actual power was concentrated in the hands of Aye and Horemheb: Aye managed state affairs, and Horemheb led the army.
The reign of Tutankhamun is characterized by a return to the normal plane of the socio religious system after Akhenaten for some time turned everyone's attention to his monotheistic cult.
This return was gradual: the worship of the gods Amon, Osiris and Ptah was resumed, and their previously closed temples were restored again.
The priestly caste again returned to the traditional religious functions, as can be judged by the performance of the corresponding rites of that time.
In the field of art, new trends discovered during the heyday of Amarna continued to develop, gradually merging with traditional Egyptian art.
Among the official images, along with the image of the young king, his "Great Queen" is constantly present, which emphasizes the visual inheritance of the Amarna principles (scenes from the personal life of a married couple can be observed on the throne, chairs, chests of drawers and other things from the pharaoh's tomb); here, among the abundance of images of Queen Ankhesenamon, the official political message about the continuity of the royal dynasty is clearly indicated.
Tutankhamun was not the pharaoh who became famous for anything in ancient times; the relatively small size of his burial (tomb KV62) was the reason that it remained unknown until the XX century.
This place was discovered in 1922 by the Egyptologist Howard Carter.
The discovery of the tomb and its treasures was covered by the press all over the world, which caused a renewed interest in the heritage of Ancient Egypt; the funeral mask of Tutankhamun became one of the most popular ancient Egyptian images.
The discovery of the tomb in almost untouched condition made a huge contribution to the understanding of Egyptian history and culture.
A significant amount of jewelry, furniture, weapons and various dishes were discovered here, thus providing important information that expands our knowledge about the Egyptian civilization.
1. Names and titles
The ring with the throne name of the Pharaoh: 'Nebheperura'.
At the birth of the young pharaoh in 1345 BC, he was given the name "Tut ankh Aton", which was later changed to "Tut ankh Amon", when the importance of religious reform in Amarna waned and gradually the worship of the god Aton was abandoned in favor of the old Egyptian pantheon led by Amon.
The gilded throne, discovered by Howard Carter in tomb KV62, contains a royal cartouche that indicates the personal name of the pharaoh during the atonism period: "Here ankh Aton Heka Iunu Shema", i.e. "The living image of Aton, the Ruler of Heliopolis" or "The one who lives with Aton, the Ruler of upper Heliopolis".
After the return of the central government back to Thebes, his personal name began to sound like "Tut ankh Amon", i.e.
"The one who lives with Amon" or "The living image of Amon"; the throne name was "Neb heperu Ra", i.e. "Lord of the manifestation of Ra".
Also, the name of this pharaoh may sound like "Amon tut ankh", because of the habit of ancient scribes to put the name of the deity at the beginning of the title, in order to express reverence for him in this way.
In the" Epitomes " of Manetho, King Tutankhamun is called under the names "Ratotis", "Ratos"or " Atoris".
The royal titulature of Pharaoh Tutankhamun from ancient Egyptian sources
Personal name (Amarna period) Tutankhaton twt ˁnḫ ỉtn - "The living image of Aton"
Personal name Tutankhamun Hekaiunushema twtnnḫ ỉmn iw iwnw šmˁ - " The living image of Amun, the Ruler of upper Heliopolis"
Nebheperur's throne name is nbprprw rˁ - " Lord of the manifestation of Ra"
Choral name Kanakht Tutmesut - Kȝ nḫt twt mswt - " Victorious bull, born perfect"
Nebti's name is Neferhepu segerehtawi Warahamon Nebjer - nfr hpw sgrḥ tȝ.wy - " One of the perfect laws that Pacifies Both Lands;
The Great One in the Palace of Amon; Ruler over all"
The golden name of Uecheshau sekhetepnecheru Hekamaat sekhetepnecheru Uecheshauitefra Uecheshaueschauim - wṯs ḫˁw stptp nṯrw - "He who wears crowns and pleases the gods;
The Lord of Truth, pleasing the Gods;
The one who wears the crowns of his father Ra;
The one who wears crowns and connects Two Lands"
2.
The origin of the Pharaoh
A pendant with the image of a young Tutankhamun surrounded by a divine couple: the god Ptah on the left and his wife Sekhmet on the right.
A sample of the return to traditional beliefs after the Amarna period.
The origin of Tutankhamun is uncertain, since it falls at the end of the religious revolution known as the "Amarna period", which was forgotten by subsequent generations of rulers, and all monuments associated with the "heretic pharaoh" Akhenaten were destroyed in every possible way.
Scientists have put forward several hypotheses about Tutankhamun's parents, some of which are specifically designed to somehow legitimize his ascension to the throne.
There are many reasons to believe that he was the natural son of Akhenaten (a theory that Zahi Hawass strongly supports, based on DNA tests done in 2010) and one of his sisters, although in fact the identity of the mother still remains a mystery.
For several years, some scientists also adhered to the hypothesis that Tutankhamun's father was Aye, although there was very little evidence for this (only a stone block from Hermopolis).
Below we will consider in detail the three main hypotheses about the origin of Tutankhamun, which are currently dominant.
2.1. Tutankhamun as the son of Amenhotep III
This theory is based primarily on the discovery of various objects in the tomb KV62, which are inscribed with cartouches of Amenhotep III, his "Great Queen" and his wife Tiya, Prince Thutmose the firstborn of Amenhotep III, who died at a young age - and Princess Sitamon, who also held the position of "Great Royal Wife"at the end of his reign.
As a rule, two factors oppose this hypothesis:
1. The time interval.
Today, it can be stated with a high degree of confidence that the death of Tutankhaton (according to the Theban ideology, who later changed his name to "Tutankhamun Hekaiunushema") occurred between the ages of 17 and 19.
The evidence for this comes from the examination of his mummy, or rather the development of the bones of the skeleton of the young pharaoh.
Presumably, Tutankhamun could have been born either by Amenhotep III, or his son Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten).
However, if we take into account that the reign of the heretic pharaoh lasted for about 17 years, it becomes obvious that Amenhotep III has nothing to do with the role of Tutankhamun's father; Akhenaten or the mysterious Smenkhkara have much more chances in this regard.
Although it is known that Amenhotep III was a long lived ruler, the time intervals strongly refute any hypothesis about paternity to Tutankhamun on his part.
2. Another factor is the political and religious context that emerged during the death of the young pharaoh.
The variety of dishes and other items containing the names of Amenhotep III, Tiya, etc., clearly shows the intention to ensure the continuity and legitimacy of the deceased king in an attempt to erase any mention of the collapse of the religious revolution.
2.2. Tutankhamun as the son of Smenkhkar
The young King Tutankhamun.
Wooden statuette
Sometimes you can hear that Tutankhamun was the son of Akhenaten's successor - the mysterious Pharaoh Smenkhkar.
However, there is no objective evidence to confirm this hypothesis: 1. This opinion is supported by the complete absence of any references to Tutankhamun from Amarna, where scientists have not been able to find almost any traces of this pharaoh.
The only mention in this plan is a sandstone stone block found in Hermopolis and brought here from Amarna during the time of the kings of the XIX Dynasty, who apparently used the abandoned city as a quarry to provide building materials used in other projects.
The relief depicted on the block indicates the name of "the son of the king and his pet Tutankhamun".
This mention is the only one that has survived from that time, but it does not mention the name of the parent at all, who undoubtedly could have been one of the three kings of this period: Akhenaten, Amenhotep III or Smenkhkar.
There is also a possibility that the mention of belonging to the royal blood may actually mean the attitude of the young pharaoh to one of the side lines of the royal family, and the absence of a cartouche in his name at all pushes to the conclusion that the inscription was made at a time when Tutankhamun was not yet a pharaoh.
It is also worth considering that the tests of the mummy from the tomb KV55, conducted by scientists in 2010, convincingly showed that there is a very strong similarity in external signs and blood groups that belong to the boy pharaoh and other representatives of the royal family of this time.
2. This hypothesis is opposed by the absence of any clear evidence linking Tutankhamun with his predecessor on the throne of Smenkhkar, as well as the existing uncertainty in the identification of the mummy from the tomb KV55, which may be the remains of both Akhenaten and Smenkhkar.
2.3. Tutankhamun as the son of Akhenaten and Kiya
Young Tutankhamun in the crown of 'khepresh', hunting with a bow together with his wife Ankhesenamun the daughter of Akhenaten and Nefertiti
This theory is currently the most accepted in historical and Egyptological circles and is based not only on the evidence found during archaeological excavations in Amarna, Thebes and the Valley of the Kings, but also on the results of Dr. Z.'s research.
Hawass and other scientists presented in 2010.
During various anthropological, radiological and genetic studies of 11 royal mummies in the period from September 2007 to October 2009, it was also established that Tutankhamun did not necessarily belong to the royal family tree.
The mother of the young pharaoh was identified as the mysterious Kiya, who was the only woman mentioned as Akhenaten's wife, except for Nefertiti and his daughters.
She bore the title "Hemet mererti aat", which means "Beloved Great Wife".
According to the Egyptologist Cyril Aldred, the elevation to such a significant status became possible due to the fact that Kiya was able to provide Akhenaten with a male heir and, thus, continue the glorious family of the XVIII Dynasty.
Kiya's premature death under Akhenaten is believed to have led to the replacement of her place by Nefertiti and one of his daughters.
This hypothesis also points to the legitimization of Tutankhamun's ascension to the throne by his betrothal to the daughter of Akhenaten and Nefertiti, Princess Ankhesenpaaton, who, like her husband, later changed her name to "Ankhesenamon".
It should be recalled here that the custom when a prince from a secondary wife was married to a princess bearing the title of "Great Royal Wife", at the same time being her half brother, was practiced for quite a long time in Ancient Egypt; and in the XVIII Dynasty there is a slightly earlier case on this occasion, associated with Queen Hatshepsut, who married her half brother Thutmose II, who was the son of Thutmose I, born from one of the secondary wives.
In contrast to this hypothesis, there is a complete absence of any references in the line of Tutankhamun, in which his kinship with Akhenaten, as his father, or Amenhotep III and Tiya, as his grandparents, would be clearly stated.
But this argument is often refuted, given the religious and political context at the time of the death of the Pharaoh boy.
At that time, Egypt was in a state of recovery that began after the Amarna period, when any mention of the heretic pharaoh began to be erased; thus, we can explain the complete absence of any references linking Tutankhamun and Akhenaten, as well as the fact that the appearance of continuity of the royal dynasty between the young pharaoh and his grandfather Amenhotep III was created.
This fact can also explain why there is a complete absence of any mention of the Amarna period on the dishes and other funeral utensils found in the tomb of Tutankhamun.
2.4. DNA Testing
The discovery of the almost untouched tomb of Tutankhamun allowed us to learn details from the life of the pharaohs who ruled around 1300 BC.
This cedar chair with a carved back with the image of the god of eternity Heh belongs to the objects from the tomb.
On February 17, 2010, the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) the results of more than two years of genetic research, during which it became obvious that Tutankhamun died from complications caused by a combination of malaria and Koehler's disease (inflammation of the foot bones).
These data are confirmed by the presence of 103 walking sticks and jars of medicines found in his tomb.
thus, it follows that despite his young age, the pharaoh suffered very much from pain in his bones.
The results of the tests also revealed that the young pharaoh was the son of Akhenaten, or at least the man whose mummy was buried in the tomb KV55, and his grandmother was Queen Tiya.
DNA studies of the mummy of Tutankhamun revealed that the mummy from KV55 was the father of the pharaoh boy and the son of the Pharaoh Amenhotep III.
The presence of such a pedigree allows us to conclude that the mummy from KV55 is none other than Akhenaten.
The same DNA studies also showed that the mummy KV35YL (i.e. the mummy from the tomb KV35, "Young Lady"), found next to the mummy of Tiya (KV35EL) and known as the "Young Lady", is the real mother of Tutankhamun and the sister of the mummy from KV55.
This discovery makes the young pharaoh, apparently, the result of incest between royal representatives (which was not uncommon for that time).
It is likely that the heretic pharaoh (assuming that he is a mummy from KV55) conceived his son with one of his sisters, and it is impossible to know which of the five daughters of Amenhotep III and Tiya was her.
Thus, the theory of Kiya was discarded.
According to the same study, incest explains the accumulation of various defects in the body of the young king, which can often be observed in the history of Egyptian dynasties.
Recent DNA studies conducted by the iGENEA Institute in Zurich in July 2011 reconstructed the genetic profile of Tutankhamun.
According to these scientists, "Pharaoh Tutankhamun belonged to a genetic profile known as the R1b1a2 gallogroup, which is represented by more than 50% of men in Western Europe, which indicates the presence of a common ancestor for them.
It is interesting that less than 1% of the current Egyptian population belongs to this gallogroup."
The share of possible descendants of Tutankhamun among Spaniards and Britons increases to 70%.
3. The Management Board
An intimate scene from the life of Tutankhamun and his 'Great Queen' Ankhesenamun.
An example of the artistic heritage of the Amarna period, which remained in force during his reign.
The God Aton lowers his protective rays to the royal couple in the same way as it was depicted with Akhenaten and Nefertiti.
Detail of the back of the golden throne of Tutankhamun
The amount of data on the reign of Tutankhamun is very small.
It is known that he was crowned at the age of eight to ten years.
According to the Egyptologist James Allen, by the year 14-15 of Akhenaten's reign, the position of co ruler next to him was occupied by Neferneferuaton, who is known to have been a female ruler due to the presence of female symbols in her name.
At first, researchers assumed that Nefertiti was hiding under this name, but a statuette "ushebti" with her name found in 1973, made around the 12th year of Akhenaten's reign, suggests that she died before the reign of Neferneferuaton.
This hypothesis is also supported by the fact that after the 12th year of Akhenaten's reign, the name and images of Nefertiti actually disappear from any documents of that time; thus, according to some scientists, the co regency as Neferneferuaton most likely belonged to one of Akhenaten's daughters named Meritaton.
The last evidence about the Pharaoh Akhenaten dates back to the 17th or 18th year of his reign, and, as it is believed, he died around this time.
After him, apparently, Neferneferuaton ascended to the throne, as well as an even less well known co regent named Smenkhkara, who may have been her husband.
The latter could rule for no more than one year, which led to the subsequent elevation of the young prince Tutankhaton, who later changed his name to "Tutankhamun".
The imminent marriage of Tutankhamun and Princess Ankhesenamun suggests that Akhenaten's last eldest daughter, Meritaton, most likely died during the reign of her husband Smenkhkar.
In any case, the time interval from the moment of Akhenaten's death to the coronation of Tutankhamun is only one year.
Tutankhamun inherited the same administrative apparatus that existed under the heretic Pharaoh.
At that time, any court affairs were carried out under the supervision of the "Grand Vizier" and the "Father of the Great Queen" Aye, who at the same time was the grandfather of the new pharaoh.
The command of the army was headed by Horemheb, and the post of chief treasurer in the state was held by an official named Maya.
The ascension to the throne of the young pharaoh was legalized following the example of his predecessors from the XVIII Dynasty: he married Princess Ankhesenpaaton - the only surviving daughter of Akhenaten and Nefertiti and, for this reason, a real representative of the legitimate royal power, who, like her husband, after the resumption of worship of the god Amon, changed her name to "Ankhesenamon".
Quite a lot of images of this married couple have been preserved, the images of which are repeatedly imprinted in the tomb of Tutankhamun in accordance with the artistic style of Amarna.
However, there is no mention of possible offspring on their part, although it is possible that these were two daughters who died in infancy and whose mummies were found in the tomb KV62.
After his ascension to the throne, Tutankhamun began to restore the ancient religious cults, trying in every possible way to forget the break in their worship that occurred during the reign of Akhenaten.
According to many modern scholars, the decision to refuse to worship Aton at such a young age was inspired by Tutankhamun by his advisers, especially Aye and Horemheb.
In addition, Egyptologists believe that the abandonment of the then capital of Akhetaton (Amarna) began only after Tutankhamun was crowned.
Archaeologist Barry Kemp claims that the abandonment of the city was not sudden, and various state structures began to leave it gradually (such as the skorovishnitsa, the royal residence, the sovereign
Subsequently, during the reign of Pharaoh Horemheb, the city was almost depopulated, and a serious blow was struck at it under the kings of the XIX Dynasty, when abandoned buildings were used as building material for new monumental works.
There are no texts about any military campaigns under Tutankhamun, which suggests that the internal political situation in Egypt at that time was so unstable that it did not allow for campaigns against rival powers, such as the Hittite kingdom and Mitanni.
However, the role of Pharaoh Tutankhamun was much more important than originally thought.
The young ruler was a great builder who, after his ascension to the throne, immediately began to repair the damage caused to the Egyptian temples under Akhenaten.
Thus, it should not be surprising that most of the statues of the god Amun dated from this period resemble Tutankhamun himself in appearance: this is due to the religious approach, according to which it was believed that the pharaoh had a divine origin and was conceived from the supreme deity himself.
The face of the pharaoh was the image of the living God on earth, which is clearly indicated by the translation of the personal name of the young ruler.
3.1. Religious restoration
A monumental statue of Tutankhamun, made in the traditional style of Egyptian art.
Museum of the Institute of Oriental Studies in Chicago
During the 4th year of his reign, Tutankhaton moved to Thebes in order to restore not only the worship of Amun, but also to restore the veneration of the rest of the ancient Egyptian pantheon.
Here he approves his final new name "Tut ankh Amon" and issues the "Edict of Restoration", which proclaimed:
"He restored all that was destroyed, and made them flourish as monuments of eternity; he drove out all deception from the Two Lands.
When His Majesty ascended the throne as King, the temples of all the gods and goddesses, from Elephantine to Delta, were in decline, and their sanctuaries were destroyed, the fields were overgrown with grass; roads were laid through their courtyards.
The country was in turmoil, and the gods forgot about it, because their hearts were angry."
This decree was recorded on a stele in the temple of Amun in Karnak, which is currently stored in the Cairo Museum.
Later, the name of Tutankhamun was erased on it, and the text was usurped by Horemheb, who thus tried to carry out his religious revenge, eliminating any references to the Amarna period and identifying himself as the direct successor of Amenhotep III: for example, the royal lists in Abydos and Saqqara completely ignore the pharaohs Akhenaten, Smenkhkar, Tutankhamun and Aye.
The religious restoration was accompanied by a great political burden, which represented not only a return to traditional polytheism, but also the return of all the lost privileges to the high priesthood of Amun, against the rapidly growing domination of which the pharaohs Amenhotep III and Akhenaten had to face.
During the reign of Horemheb and, especially, under the subsequent rulers of the XIX Dynasty, the last echoes associated with the reign of the heretic Pharaoh Akhenaten and the worship of Aton practically fell silent.
It was from this time that Horemheb began to be indicated in the official royal lists immediately after Amenhotep III, and they tried to forget about the names of such rulers as Akhenaten, Tutankhamun and Aye in every possible way.
4. The development of art under Tutankhamun
Statues of Tutankhamun and Ankhesenamun in Luxor.
They show the damage caused under subsequent rulers, who tried in every possible way to erase references to the Amarna period
The young pharaoh did not have enough time to build any great structures that would amaze the imagination of posterity, and he limited himself only to reconstructing previously abandoned temples, erecting a small new temple for Amun to the west of Thebes and creating some paintings and reliefs, as well as an inverntar.
As for the development of artistic approaches under Tutankhamun, the political upheavals of that period and their impact on the visual arts are clearly traced here.
4.1. The first stage: the legacy of Amarna
Thanks to the samples of furniture and dishes found in the tomb KV62, such as a throne, chairs, dressers, etc., today it is possible to restore the artistic development of this period.
At the first stage, one can easily identify the continuity to the art of Amarna: wide lines in the paintings, images of the royal family are distinguished by an elongated skull, an elongated neck and a protruding belly.
The principles that were used in the line of portraits of Akhenaten are also traced: the pharaoh and his wife with children are depicted in intimate scenes of family life, in some cases under the rays of the one god Aton.
The representation of the royal couple is identical to those known since the time of Akhenaten and Nefertiti, and the bas relief on the back wall of the royal throne of Tutankhamun even represents the solar disk above the Pharaoh and his wife, lowering its life giving rays to them.
This throne is one of the best examples of the skill of ancient Egyptian craftsmen with a mixture of artistic carvings, reliefs and inlays combining various materials.
The same approach is observed in the manufacture of the funeral mask of the pharaoh: the height of the gold product is 54 cm, elements of quartz, obsidian, lapis lazuli and glass are added; on the reverse side are inscribed texts from chapter 151 of the Book of the Dead, which describes various parts of the human body.
4.2. The second stage: return to traditions
The monumental statues of the god Amun in Karnak, which depict the face of the young pharaoh, show the final rejection of the artistic canons of the Amarna period.
The return to long standing traditions in the visual arts was also manifested not only in the statues, but also in the emphasis on the usual image of the pharaoh: a dress with a petticoat, a royal crown, an applied beard and a symbol - "uraeus" on the head.
Among other things, at a time when there is not a single document confirming Tutankhamun's participation in any military campaigns, a chest with images of the king killing his enemies riding on a war chariot was found in his tomb.
This image is the best indicator of the change in the visual theme: the rejection of the artistic images of Amarna and the transition to the familiar images of the Pharaoh defeating his enemies.
From the point of view of the development of art, it should be noted that after the period of Akhenaten's reign, the return to the traditional canons was carried out gradually.
This position is supported not only by the fact that the change of supreme power in the country also did not occur immediately, although the destabilization in the management of the state was observed already in the last years of Akhenaten's reign (as, for example, is described in the "Amarna Letters"), but also by the fact that some attempts were made to assign him the legitimacy of ascension to the throne, indicating the continuity of the Theban line of kings.
A sharp change in this plan will occur under Horemheb and will be completed under the first rulers of the XIX Dynasty.
5. Famous officials under Tutankhamun
Among the treasures from the tomb of Tutankhamun was this pectoral, which was on the chest of the mummy of the king.
Images of hieroglyphs were often used in the manufacture of royal jewelry.
In this case, it is possible to identify the throne name 'Neb heperu ra': the solar boat depicts the symbol 'Neb'; the scarab beetle in the center means the word 'heper', which together with three lotus flowers at the base gives a multiplicity of 'heperu'; the solar disk 'Ra'crowns the product.
Various items from the tomb KV62 (ushebti, paintings, figurines, etc.) and other sanctuaries and tombs of the nobility of that period make it possible to reconstruct the court environment of the pharaoh.
Given the short reign of Tutankhamun, there were certainly those at his court who concentrated the actual power in Egypt in their hands.
Aye.
Acting under the title of "Father of God" and having unprecedented power and autonomy even under the heretic Pharaoh, Aye maintained his independence under Tutankhamun.
Such circumstances allowed him to eventually gain the supreme power in the country: the power of the pharaoh.
Taking into account the presence of family ties with the royal family and the fact that he was the father of the "Great Royal Wife" Nefertiti and the grandfather of the subsequent queen - his granddaughter Ankhesenamon - one should not be surprised at the managerial skills of Aye, which manifested immediately after the death of the young pharaoh.
During the life of Tutankhamun, he also held the position of the main royal adviser.
Due to the fact that Aye was one of the leading officials during the reign of Akhenaten, it is quite easy to trace his origin.
Like the "Great Queen" Amenhotep III and Akhenaten's mother, the famous Tiya, Aye was a native of the city of Akhmim (Panopol).
This fact made it possible to develop a hypothesis that asserts a significant degree of kinship between the main representatives of the late XVIII Dynasty, namely: Aye, Tiya, Nefertiti, Akhenaten, Tutankhamun and Ankhesenamun.
While the name "Aye" bears a visible resemblance to the name "Tiya", as well as Yuya and Tuya (the parents of Queen Tiya, whose tomb was considered the most famous archaeological find until the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb), there is no concrete evidence that could prove the relationship between the families of Aye and Tiya.
Horemheb.
If Ay managed to strengthen his position thanks to his connections with the royal family, then Horemheb concentrated power in his hands, thanks to he will control the military power of the country.
He was the main military commander in the army, who carried out under his command the restoration of Egyptian influence in Southern Nubia, as well as in the north - in the Gaza Strip and Syria.
Dutch Egyptologist Jacob van Dijk believes that Horemheb, together with the army, tried to restore the presence of Egypt in Syria, which was greatly disrupted by the advance of the Hittites, who at that time had already conquered the Mitanni kingdom, which had previously been an ally of the Egyptians under Pharaoh Amenhotep III (as evidenced not only by the actual marriages of the Egyptian monarch with the Mitanni princesses Taduhipa and Giluhipa, but also various diplomatic messages of that time, called "Amarna letters").
The state of affairs that had been established up to that time was also disrupted by the advance of the Hittites already in the territories controlled by Egypt, in Syria and Canaan.
Horemheb's military campaign under Tutankhamun's rule may have been unsuccessful in terms of restoring territorial possessions in Syria, and most likely, Horemheb learned about the sudden death of the young king while on a campaign far from the Egyptian capital.
This combination of circumstances, apparently, took advantage of Aye, who at that time occupied the royal throne.
Tutankhamun receives flowers from Ankhesenamun.
The image on the lid of the casket from his tomb
Nakhtmin (Minakht).
He held a position in the military structures of the ancient Egyptian state and became famous thanks to a number of "ushebti" figurines discovered in the tomb KV62.
It is assumed that this official was connected by some blood ties with Aye, which gave the latter the opportunity to conduct political intrigues, and also acted as a real counterweight to Horemheb in the military hierarchy.
Finally, scientists found a statue of Minakhta, which was made during the reign of Aye.
It bears the title "Son of the King" and contains a legend where the god Horus intends to transfer the royal throne to another person after the death of Aye, but definitely not Horemheb, which may indicate a likely conflict between the two most powerful officials under Tutankhamun.
However, no more official traces of the existence of Nakhtmin were found, and the rapid ascent to power of Horemheb suggests that his further life was very short.
Maya.
This official is known only from one ushebti discovered by Howard Carter in the tomb KV62.
The inscriptions on the wooden statuette mention him as "The Head of the works at the place of Eternity", that is, they are associated with the works in the royal necropolis.
In addition, there is also a mention of his name as "Treasurer".
It is indisputable that the opportunity to provide his statuette in the burial of the pharaoh indicates that the official belonged to the inner circles of Tutankhamun, since such a gesture was considered a great mercy on the part of the deceased king.
It is known that Maya continued to work in state structures even after the death of the young pharaoh, since his activities in the royal necropolis were recorded during the reign of Horemheb.
Usermont.
The royal vizier, "chati", whose role and duties were very close to the post of a modern prime minister.
During the time of Ancient Egypt, the country was divided into two main geographical areas: northern, or Lower Egypt, and southern, or Upper Egypt.
Usermontou held the position of Vizier of Upper Egypt.
Pentu.
An official whose position was similar to Usermont, but only implied the management of Lower Egypt.
The fuck.
He held the position of vice ruler of Kush and head of the organization of work at the Nubian gold mines,
