New Kingdom, Part 4 (160 – 200)

Horemheb vs Ay, Tutankhamun, and others. Everyone talks about Horemheb "erasing" Akhenaten. But the King demolished monuments of several rulers and erased the names of others. What does it all…

Ups and Downs. Horemheb vs Akhenaten. To build his magnificent pylons at Karnak, Horemheb dismantled other monuments. Within the masonry of these pylons, archaeologists found nearly fifty thousand blocks from…

Horemheb at Karnak (Part 2). Horemheb’s builders raised great monuments at Karnak Temple. They also renovated and moved older structures, to accommodate their work. Add to that some novel chapels…

Horemheb at Karnak (Part 1).Before his ascent, Horemheb had managed building projects for Tutankhamun. Now, as pharaoh, Horemheb went all out. He invested in one of the largest building sprees…

Ups and Downs. Karnak had experienced a tumultuous time, in the three decades preceding Horemheb's reign... Date: c.1362 - 1330 BCE. Music interludes: Keith Zizza, Ancient Lyric, and Hathor Systrum.…

Mysterious Royals. Queen Mutnodjmet is a curious case. There is speculation that she may be the lost sister of Nefertiti. This hypothesis has kicked around for over 100 years. Why…

Revisionist history in the age of pharaohs.King Horemheb (“Horus in Celebration”) came to power in unusual circumstances. To justify his rule, the new pharaoh set about “retelling” his origins. In…

Horemheb Celebrates His Rule. The Coronation of King Hor-em-heb. A few months after he took power, Egypt's new pharaoh Horemheb ("Horus in Celebration") celebrated his rule. It was a magnificent…

Following Up. Other victims, and some clarifications. In this brief episode, I describe another individual who suffered desecration. Following Ay's death, members of his family/network fell from grace. Did they…

Frustrated Plans.King Ay had his own plans for the succession. He promoted his relative, Nakht-Min, to great power and prominence. But when Ay died, Nakhtmin found himself at odds with…