| Amenhotep I Human Mummy | |
| |
| Biographical Information | |
|---|---|
| Name(s) | Amenhotep I |
| Age | Unknown |
| Sex | Male |
| Status | Deceased (mummified) |
| Height | Unknown |
| Source | |
| Culture | Ancient Egypt; Probably from Upper Egypt, Thebes, Karnak |
| Date(s) | around 1514 - 1493 bce |
| Site | Unconfirmed; Possibly Valley of the Kings, KV39 or Dra' Abu el-Naga', Tomb ANB |
| Current Location | |
| Location | Unknown |
| Catalog # | |
Amenhotep I (also known as Amenophis I; Amenhotep meaning "Amun is satisfied") was King of Egypt who reigned in 1514–1493 BC. He was the son of Ahmose I (First Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty) and Ahmose-Nefertari. His elder brothers were Ahmose-ankh and Ahmose Sapair. His sister was Ahmose-Meritamon who was rumored to become his first Great Royal Wife. Originally, Amenhotep was not supposed to inherit the throne however, when Ahmose I passed away, and his apparent heir had also died then Amenhotep was named king. He was then able inherit his fathers military and continued to rule over Nubia and Nile Delta. Amenhotep was succeeded by Thutmose I since he had no apparent heir. Amenhotep I had a peaceful reign and therefore was known to rebuild the temples in Upper Egypt (most importantly, the temple of the god Amun at Karnak).
He built a sacred barque chapel of Amun made from alabaster. He also made a copy of the White Chapel of Senusret III (was later taken down by Amenhotep III). In Karnak, he built structures for his Sed festival (one of the oldest feasts in Egypt that is celebrated after the king's 30th year of ruing) but passed away before he was able to use them. A temple was constructed in Nubia at Sai, and he built structures in Upper Egypt at Elephantine, Kom Ombo, Abydos, and the Temple of Nekhbet, but did not build anything in Lower Egypt, like his father. Amenhotep's additions to Karnak are now preserved in a number of Museums.
His throne name was Djeser-ka-re, or "Holy is the Soul of Re". His Horus name was Ka-Waf-Taw (Bull who conquers the land) and his "Two Ladies" name was Aa-nerw (He who inspires great terror).
Mummification[]
Mummification process is unknown since Amenhotep's because he is the only royal mummy to not be unwrapped by modern Egyptologists.
Pathology[]
Amenhotep's mummy was never opened and is in excellent condition. X-rays from 1967 show that there was a bead girdle and a small amulet within the wrappings of the mummy. When the mummy was found, there was floral garland, a cartonnage funerary mask, and a wasp. It was noted that there a fracture on the lower right arm (may have been caused by re-wrapping of the mummy in the 21st Dynasty. Amenhotep's arms were in the standard crossed arms position. His coffin had inscriptions of his reburial data after his restoration.
Additional[]
Amenhotep I was the first king of Egypt to separate his mortuary temple from his tomb (to keep tomb robbers from finding his tomb as easily). The remains of this temple are most probably to be found at the north end of Deir el-Bahri. Deir el-Bahri appears to have had some sort of funerary significance for Amenhotep, since Theban Tomb 358, the tomb of his queen Ahmose-Meritamon, was also found nearby.
After his death he was named a deity in Deir El-Medina (his mother was also named a deity as well and died a year later after Amenhotep). He had three manifestations: "Amenhotep of the Town," "Amenhotep Beloved of Amun," and "Amenhotep of the Forecourt," and was known as a god who produced oracles.
The location of Amenhotep's tomb is as of yet unidentified. The tomb was known to be intact during the reign of Ramses IX, but its location was not disclosed. There are two possible sites for the location of Amenhotep I's undiscovered tomb, one high up in the Valley of the Kings, KV39 and the other at Dra' Abu el-Naga', Tomb ANB. Tomb ANB is considered the more likely possibility, because it contains objects bearing his name and the names of some family members. Excavations at KV 39 have indicated that instead it was used as a previous storage area for the Deir el-Bahri Cache and Dra' Abu el-Naga' ANB is considered the more probable location.
References[]
Amenhotep I. (2015). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/biography/Amenhotep-I
Crystal, E. (n.d.). Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt - Amenhotep I. Retrieved December 2, 2015, from http://www.crystalinks.com/Amenhotep_I.html
Dunn, J. (n.d.). Tour Egypt :: Egypt: Amenhotep I, the Second King of Egypt. Retrieved December 2, 2015, from http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/amenhotep1.htm
Miller, W. (n.d.). View 18'th Dynasty Theban Royal Mummies from DB320 & KV35. Retrieved December 2, 2015, from http://anubis4_2000.tripod.com/mummypages1/Aeighteen.htm
Relief with the Head of Amenhotep I | New Kingdom. (n.d.). Retrieved December 2, 2015, from http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/587532?=&imgno=0&tabname=label
Roehrig, C., Renée Dreyfus, R., & Keller, C. (2005). Hatshepsut : From Queen to Pharaoh / edited by Catharine H. Roehrig with Renée Dreyfus and Cathleen A. Keller :: Metropolitan Museum of Art Publications. Retrieved December 2, 2015, from http://libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p15324coll10/id/82622/rec/1
External Links[]
http://www.britannica.com/biography/Amenhotep-I http://libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p15324coll10/id/82622/rec/1 http://www.crystalinks.com/Amenhotep_I.html http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/amenhotep1.htm http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/587532 http://www.britannica.com/topic/Heb-Sed http://anubis4_2000.tripod.com/mummypages1/Aeighteen.htm