Ankhesenamen

Ankhesenpaaten in hieroglyphs

Ankhesenamun in hieroglyphs

Ankhesenamen (b. Ankhesenpaaten, ca. 1348 – after 1324 BCE), which means She who lives through the Amun, was the third of six known daughters of the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten and his Great Royal Wife Nefertiti. She was probably born in year 4 of Akhenaten's reign and by year 12 she was joined by her three younger sisters.

Early Life

Ankhesenpaaten was born in a time when Egypt was in transition (ca. 1348 BCE). Her father had abandoned the old gods of Egypt in favor of the Aten, a minor sun-god who was the physical Sun Disk. She is believed to have been born in Waset (present-day Thebes), but probably grew up in her father's new capital city of Akhetaten (present-day Tell el-Amarna). The three eldest girls – Meritaten, Meketaten, and Ankhesenpaaten – became the "Senior Princesses".

Later Life

She is believed to have been married first to her own father, by whom she was the mother of the princess Ankhesenpaaten Tasherit when she was twelve. After her father's death and a short marriage to Smenkhkare, she became the wife of Tutankhamen. Following their marriage, the couple honored the gods of the restored religion by changing their names to Tutankhamen and Ankhesenamen. Despite numerous attempts, the couple only had two stillborn daughters. They were both premature, the first born at about after eight months had a rare condition called spina bifida – had she lived, she would have been deformed. Some time in the ninth year of his reign, at about the age of eighteen, Tutankhamen died suddenly leaving Ankhesenamen alone without an heir at about age twenty-one. A ring shows that Ankhesenamen married Ay and then disappears from history. On the walls of Ay's tomb it is Tey, not Ankhesenamen, who appears as queen. She probably died during or shortly after his reign and as of yet no burial has been found for her.

The Hittite Letters

A document was found in the ancient Hittite capital of Hattusa which dates to the Amarna period. It was addressed to the Hittite king, Suppiluliuma I, and reads, "My husband has died and I have no son. They say about you that you have many sons. You might give me one of your sons to become my husband. I would not wish to take one of my subjects as a husband... I am afraid."

This document is extraordinary, for never before had anything like this occurred. In fact, Egyptians traditionally considered foreigners to be inferior. Suppiluliuma was understandably wary and had an envoy investigate, but by so doing, he missed his chance to bring Egypt into his empire. He did eventually send one of his sons, Zannanza, but the prince was murdered en route.

Debate rages over which queen authored the amazing message. Possible candidates are Nefertiti and Ankhesenamen. Ankhesenamen seems more likely since there were no candidates for the throne on the death of her husband, Tutankhamen, whereas Akhenaten had at least two legitimate successors.

References

• http://www.suziemanley.com/famous_egyptians/ankhesenamen.htm

Further reading

• Akhenaten, King of Egypt, by Cyril Aldred, 1988, Thames & Hudson.

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