Ramesses II defends his borders. In the early years of his reign, Ramesses focussed on home defence. His army established new forts at remote locations along the western Delta and Mediterranean Coast (Marmarica). Traces of this work can be found at famous locations like el-Alamein, Mersa Matruh, and Zawiyet Umm el-Rakham, the latter of which has been the object of detailed excavation in recent decades. Apparently, Ramesses was fortifying his frontiers, guarding the western approaches to Egypt. Soon after, the pharaoh went forth on campaign. His target? The cities of Canaan and Amurru, in modern-day Lebanon. Along the way, he left inscriptions at Nahr el-Kalb, which started a surprisingly long-lived tradition... Music: "War" by Ancient Lyric (commissioned by The History of Egypt Podcast). Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/BHC6MGDBC6SXU. We have merch! Browse our designs at Dashery by TeePublic https://egyptpodcast.dashery.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sety’s royal burial. Valley of the Kings tomb 17 (KV17) came to light in October 1817. Discovered by a team of Egyptian workers, employed by Giovanni Belzoni, the tomb is the most beautiful, and one of the largest, in the entire Valley. Learn more about KV17: 3D Tour by Mused: https://mused.com/tours/926/tomb-of-seti-i-valley-of-the-kings/ Theban Mapping Project https://thebanmappingproject.com/tombs/kv-17-sety-i Photos: Kairoinfo4u via https://www.flickr.com/photos/manna4u/albums/72157687439529835/ KV17 at Wikimedia https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:KV17 == The History of Egypt Podcast: Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/BHC6MGDBC6SXU We have merch! Browse our designs at Dashery by TeePublic https://egyptpodcast.dashery.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Face-to-face with the legends. Christina Riggs is a Professor (History of Visual Culture) at Durham University. In 2021, her book Treasured: How Tutankhamun Shaped a Century took a broader view of the tomb and its discovery than most books on the subject. Her discussion helps us review and revisit older myths or assumptions, and encourage new perspectives on Egyptology's most famous discovery. Prof. Christina Riggs at Durham University. Christina Riggs at Academia.edu. Christina Riggs' website including her blog and the article "Waterboys and Wishful Thinking." Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An enigmatic icon. Dr. Joyce Tyldesley returns for her second interview with The History of Egypt Podcast! We spoke about her recent book Tutankhamun: Pharaoh. Icon. Enigma. and the legacy of the discovery, including aspects of its excavation and significance. We also got into some random topics including Philomena Cunk, Scandinavian Noir shows, and Strictly Come Dancing. Enjoy! Dr. Joyce Tyldesley at The University of Manchester. Dr. Tyldesley's 2022 book Tutankhamun: Pharaoh. Icon. Enigma. at Headline Publishing.\ Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recorded 2022. Tutankhamun, Mummies, and Murder, oh my! I sat down with Dr. Bob Brier to discuss the Tomb of Tutankhamun, and the legacy of this important discovery. We also chatted about Dr. Brier's work in Egyptology, including his experiment in mummifying a human for scientific research. Finally, we touched on some older works including his "Murder of Tutankhamun" hypothesis and the Great Pyramid's construction (including the "internal ramp" hypothesis of Jean-Pierre Houdin). My thanks to Dr. Brier for coming on the show, and for allowing me to release the video version! Extra special thanks to Pat Remler for organising the conversation! Preorder Dr. Brier's book Tutankhamun and the Tomb that Changed the World from Oxford University Press. Read a report on Carter's thefts at The Guardian. Find Dr. Brier's hierogylphs lessons (and others) at The Great Courses. The History of Egypt Podcast: Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Annexe and End of Excavation. Howard Carter uncovered the tomb of King Tutankhamun in November 1922. He would continue labouring in the monument until 1927, and the final conservation of objects would finish in 1932. Over these ten years of work, Carter tackled many challenges, some of which proved insurmountable. In the end, his labour, and the story of Tutankhamun's burial, stand as a testament to human effort and long legacies. Episode Chapters: Chapter 15: The Scouring of the Tomb 00:00:15 Chapter 16: The End of Excavations 00:31:50 Series Conclusion: 00:52:30 Episode Links: For the full archive of Harry Burton’s photographs, showing the tomb of Tutankhamun in its original state, see the Griffith Institute website. Date: 1922 CE - 1932 CE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Keith Zizza https://www.keithzizza.net/ Sound interludes by Luke Chaos https://twitter.com/Luke_Chaos Select Bibliography: H. Beinlich and M. Saleh, Corpus der Hieroglyphischen Inschriften aus dem Grab des Tutanchamun (Oxford, 1989). H. Carter, The Tomb of Tut-Ankh-Amen, III (2000 Reprint edn, London, 1933). H. Carter, The Tomb of Tutankhamen (Century edn, London, 1983). J. Černý, Hieratic Inscriptions from the Tomb of Tut’ankhamūn (Oxford, 1965). M. Eaton-Krauss, The Unknown Tutankhamun (London, 2016). Z. Hawass, Discovering Tutankhamun: From Howard Carter to DNA (Cairo, 2013). Z. Hawass and S. Vannini, Tutankhamun: The Treasures of the Tomb (London, 2018). T. Hoving, Tutankhamun: The Untold Story (New York, 1978). T. G. H. James, Howard Carter: The Path to Tutankhamun (Tauris 2001 edn, New York, 1992). N. Reeves, The Complete Tutankhamun (Cairo, 1990). N. Reeves and J. H. Taylor, Howard Carter Before Tutankhamun (London, 1992). The Griffith Institute, ‘Tutankhamun: Anatomy of an Excavation’, The Griffith Institute, University of Oxford, http://www.griffith.ox.ac.uk/discoveringTut/. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Treasured Heirlooms. East of the Burial Chamber, in Tutankhamun's tomb, the per hedj ("Treasury") contained a smorgasbord of beautiful objects. Some of these were sacred, like the canopic vessels for Tutankhamun's organs. Others were symbolic, connecting the pharaoh with great gods like Osiris. And still others were curious, including some "heirlooms" from earlier rulers and generations...  Episode Chapters: Chapter 13: Anubis and the King 00:00:13 Chapter 14: The Heirlooms of Akhenaten 00:24:30 Episode Links: Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net  Sound interludes by Luke Chaos https://twitter.com/Luke_Chaos. See other shows from the Agora Podcast Network.  Select Bibliography: J. P. Allen, ‘The Original Owner of Tutankhamun’s Canopic Coffins’, in Z. Hawass and J. H. Wegner (eds.), Millions of Jubilees: Studies in Honor of David P. Silverman (Cairo, 2010), 27—41. H. Assaad and D. Kolos, The Name of the Dead: Hieroglyphic Inscriptions of the Treasures of Tutankhamun Translated (Missisauga, 1979). H. Beinlich and M. Saleh, Corpus der Hieroglyphischen Inschriften aus dem Grab des Tutanchamun (Oxford, 1989). H. Carter, The Tomb of Tut-Ankh-Amen, 3vols, 1927 – 1933. J. Černý, Hieratic Inscriptions from the Tomb of Tut’ankhamūn (Oxford, 1965). A. Dodson, ‘Crown Prince Djhutmose and the Royal Sons of the Eighteenth Dynasty’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 76 (1990), 87–96. A. Dodson, ‘Canopics’, in R. H. Wilkinson and K. R. Weeks (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of the Valley of the Kings (New York, 2014), 260—274. M. Eaton-Krauss, The Unknown Tutankhamun (London, 2016). J. R. Harris, ‘Akhenaten and Neferneferuaten in the Tomb of Tut’ankhamūn’, in N. Reeves (ed.), After Tutankhamūn: Research and Excavation in the Royal Necropolis at Thebes (London, 1992), 55—72. Z. Hawass, Discovering Tutankhamun: From Howard Carter to DNA (Cairo, 2013). Z. Hawass and S. Vannini, Tutankhamun: The Treasures of the Tomb (London, 2018). N. Reeves, The Complete Tutankhamun (Cairo, 1990). K. R. Weeks, ‘The Component Parts of KV Royal Tombs’, in R. H. Wilkinson and K. R. Weeks (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of the Valley of the Kings (New York, 2014), 98—117. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Curses and Controversies. From the moment they announced their discovery, Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon were faced with overwhelming attention. How they responded, and how they chose to approach the excavation, would have a major impact on public perception of the tomb. And, when events took a tragic turn, the media were happy to capitalise on the issue... Episode Chapters: Chapter 10: The Choices of Lord Carnarvon 00:05:10. Chapter 11: Journey to the Crossroads 00:25:30 Chapter 12: Of Bricks and Lost Portraits 00:48:48 Episode Links: Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. The "curse" brick, with text from Book of the Dead, Chapter 151: http://www.griffith.ox.ac.uk/gri/carter/263.html Music Opening: "She Gypped Egypt on the Nile," midi rendition by SheetMusicSinger.com. Used with permission (audio editing: added vinyl crackling sound effects). Music Interlude at 00:24:34: "Vintage Ragtime," purchased from Pond5.com. Music Interlude at 00:48:05: "Tomb Song," by Nora Keyes, public domain via Freemusicarchive.com. Outro music by Ancient Lyric http://www.bettinajoydeguzman.com/. Sound interludes by Luke Chaos https://twitter.com/Luke_Chaos. See other shows from the Agora Podcast Network. Select Bibliography: H. Beinlich and M. Saleh, Corpus der Hieroglyphischen Inschriften aus dem Grab des Tutanchamun (Oxford, 1989). J. Černý, Hieratic Inscriptions from the Tomb of Tut’ankhamūn (Oxford, 1965). Cox, ‘The Death of Lord Carnarvon’, The Lancet 361 (2003), 1994. Z. Hawass, Discovering Tutankhamun: From Howard Carter to DNA (Cairo, 2013). T. Hoving, Tutankhamun: The Untold Story (New York, 1978). T. G. H. James, Howard Carter: The Path to Tutankhamun (Tauris 2001 edn, New York, 1992). M. R. Nelson, ‘The Mummy’s Curse: Historical Cohort Study’, BMJ 325 (2002), 1482. N. Reeves, The Complete Tutankhamun (Cairo, 1990). N. Strudwick, Texts From the Pyramid Age (Atlanta, 2005). E. Teeter, Religion and Ritual in Ancient Egypt (New York, 2011). The Griffith Institute, ‘Tutankhamun: Anatomy of an Excavation’, The Griffith Institute, University of Oxford, accessed . H. V. F. Winstone, Howard Carter and the Discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun (London, 1991). Websites: Rarenewspapers.com, valuable source for old clippings; Newspapers.com, source of various reportsl; Historyembalmed.org, a valuable summary of Tutankhamun’s tomb, media reports, and the Curse narratives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coffins, Masks, and a Mummy. Within his Burial Chamber, Tutankhamun slept amid gold, glass, wood, and precious stone. His mummy is an extraordinary find, covered with ornaments, amulets, ceremonial clothing, and even weapons. From the famous image of his mummy mask, to a dagger made of "sky rock," the King's body reveals many tantalising stories... Episode Chapters: Eight: In the House of Tutankhamun 00:00:10 Nine: The Face of the Pharaoh 00:31:15 Epilogue: A Curious Dagger 01:02:35 Episode details: Date: c. 1922 CE King: Neb-kheperu-Ra Tut-ankh-Amun Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Logo image: Tutankhamun and the Royal Ka before Osiris. FactumArte. Music by Keith Zizza https://www.keithzizza.net/ Music: Michael Levy http://www.ancientlyre.com/ Music by Ancient Lyric http://www.bettinajoydeguzman.com/ Sound interludes by Luke Chaos https://twitter.com/Luke_Chaos Audio mixing/editing by Vincent Cavanagh See other shows from the Agora Podcast Network Nicholas Reeves' discussions of the Mummy mask, and its possible ownership. Article 1, 2015, and Article 2, 2015. For the full archive of Harry Burton’s photographs, showing the tomb of Tutankhamun in its original state, see the Griffith Institute website. Select Bibliography: H. Assaad and D. Kolos, The Name of the Dead: Hieroglyphic Inscriptions of the Treasures of Tutankhamun Translated (Missisauga, 1979). H. Beinlich and M. Saleh, Corpus der Hieroglyphischen Inschriften aus dem Grab des Tutanchamun (Oxford, 1989). H. Carter, The Tomb of Tut-Ankh-Amen, II (London, 1927). D. Comelli et al., ‘The Meteoritic Origin of Tutankhamun’s Iron Dagger Blade’, Meteoritics & Planetary Science 51 (2016), 1301–9. M. Eaton-Krauss, The Sarcophagus in the Tomb of Tutankhamun (Oxford, 1993). M. Eaton-Krauss, The Unknown Tutankhamun (London, 2016). K. El Mallakh and A. C. Brackman, The Gold of Tutankhamen (First English Language edn, New York, 1978). O. Goelet Jr. et al., The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth By Day (Revised edn, San Francisco, 2015). Z. Hawass, Discovering Tutankhamun: From Howard Carter to DNA (Cairo, 2013). Z. Hawass and S. Vannini, Tutankhamun: The Treasures of the Tomb (London, 2018). T. Hoving, Tutankhamun: The Untold Story (New York, 1978). N. Reeves, The Complete Tutankhamun (Cairo, 1990). N. Reeves, ‘The Gold Mask of Ankhkheperure Neferneferuaten’, Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections 7 (2015), 77–9. N. Reeves, ‘Tutankhamun’s Mask Reconsidered’, Bulletin of the Egyptological Seminar: The Art and Culture of Ancient Egypt: Studies in Honor of Dorothea Arnold 19 (2015), 511–26. A. Silotti, Guide to the Valley of the Kings and to the Theban Necropolises and Temples (Vercelli, 2000). K. R. Weeks, ‘The Component Parts of KV Royal Tombs’, in R. H. Wilkinson and K. R. Weeks (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of the Valley of the Kings (New York, 2014), 98—117. H. V. F. Winstone, Howard Carter and the Discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun (London, 1991). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shrines and Painting. Tutankhamun's Burial Chamber is a beautiful space. The decorations, though "simple," convey a meaningful series of events. The King's ascent to the sky, his entry to Osiris' kingdom, and his meeting with various gods, forms a beautiful journey in the afterlife. Also, the King's shrines (wood and gold) are decorated with complex and fascinating texts. In these chapters, we explore the first set of Tutankhamun's burial equipment... Episode Chapters Chapter 6: The King of the Golden Hall Chapter 7: The Portraits in the West Episode Links Alexandre Piankoff, The Shrines of Tut-Ankh-Amon (1995) on Archive.org. For the full archive of Harry Burton’s photographs, showing the tomb of Tutankhamun in its original state, see the Griffith Institute website. Date: 1922 CE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Keith Zizza https://www.keithzizza.net/ Music by Michael Levy http://www.ancientlyre.com/ Music by Ancient Lyric http://www.bettinajoydeguzman.com/ Sound interludes by Luke Chaos https://twitter.com/Luke_Chaos Audio mixing/editing by Vincent Cavanagh. Select Bibliography: H. Assaad and D. Kolos, The Name of the Dead: Hieroglyphic Inscriptions of the Treasures of Tutankhamun Translated (Missisauga, 1979). H. Beinlich, ‘Zwischen Tod und Grab: Tutanchamun und das Begräbnisritual’, Studien zur Altägyptischen Kultur 34 (2006), 17–31. H. Beinlich and M. Saleh, Corpus der Hieroglyphischen Inschriften aus dem Grab des Tutanchamun (Oxford, 1989). H. Carter, The Tomb of Tut-Ankh-Amen, 3vols, (London, 1927—1933). J. C. Darnell, The Enigmatic Netherworld Books of the Solar-Osirian Unity: Cryptographic Compositions in the Tombs of Tutankhamun, Ramesses VI and Ramesses IX (Academic Press, 2004). J. C. Darnell and C. Manassa, The Ancient Egyptian Netherworld Books (Atlanta, 2018). M. Eaton-Krauss, The Unknown Tutankhamun (London, 2016). K. El Mallakh and A. C. Brackman, The Gold of Tutankhamen (First English Language edn, New York, 1978). O. Goelet Jr. et al., The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth By Day (Revised edn, San Francisco, 2015). Z. Hawass, Discovering Tutankhamun: From Howard Carter to DNA (Cairo, 2013). Z. Hawass and S. Vannini, Tutankhamun: The Treasures of the Tomb (London, 2018). T. Hoving, Tutankhamun: The Untold Story (New York, 1978). A. Piankoff, The Shrines of Tut-Ankh-Amon (New York, 1955). Available free online at Archive.org. N. Reeves, The Complete Tutankhamun (Cairo, 1990). D. P. Silverman, ‘Cryptographic Writing in the Tomb of Tutankhamun’, Studien zur Altägyptischen Kultur 8 (1980), 233–6. K. R. Weeks, ‘The Component Parts of KV Royal Tombs’, in R. H. Wilkinson and K. R. Weeks (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of the Valley of the Kings (New York, 2014), 98—117. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Seek and Discover. In this episode, we begin the tale of the most famous tomb in history. KV62, a small monument, in the lower reaches of the Valley of the Kings. Overlooked for three thousand years, the tomb finally emerged thanks to a persistent excavator and a stroke of good fortune. However, the Tomb of Tutankhamun has built up its own mythology. In this episode, we begin to explore the tomb, and its discovery, including some lesser-known questions...  Episode Chapters Chapter 1: A Long-Expected Pharaoh 04:15 Chapter 2: The Stairway to the Past 27:36 Chapter 3: The Door Goes West 46:51 Chapter 4: Candles in the Dark 1:08:40 Chapter 5: The Antechamber Unmasked 1:22:52 Conclusion: 1:38:55 Episode Links Howard Carter and George Herbert (Lord Carnarvon), Five Years' Exploration at Thebes: A Record of Work Done 1907-1911 by The Earl of Carnarvon and Howard Carter, 1912. Available at Project Gutenberg and Archive.org. Christina Riggs, "Waterboys and Wishful Thinking," https://photographing-tutankhamun.com/2020/06/20/the-water-boy-who-wasnt/ For the full archive of Harry Burton’s photographs, showing the tomb of Tutankhamun in its original state, see the Griffith Institute website. Date: 1922 CE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Logo image: A statue of Tutankhamun, from the antechamber of his tomb. Photo by Skip Howard. Music by Keith Zizza https://www.keithzizza.net/ Music by Michael Levy http://www.ancientlyre.com/ Music by Ancient Lyric http://www.bettinajoydeguzman.com/ Sound interludes by Luke Chaos https://twitter.com/Luke_Chaos Select Bibliography: H. Assaad and D. Kolos, The Name of the Dead: Hieroglyphic Inscriptions of the Treasures of Tutankhamun Translated (Missisauga, 1979). H. Beinlich and M. Saleh, Corpus der Hieroglyphischen Inschriften aus dem Grab des Tutanchamun (Oxford, 1989). E. C. Brock, ‘A Possible Chariot Canopy for Tutankhamun’, in A. Veldmeijer and S. Ikram (eds.), Chasing Chariots: Proceedings of the First International Chariot Conference (Cairo 2012) (Leiden, 2013), 29–44. H. Carter, The Tomb of Tut-Ankh-Amen, II (London, 1927). H. Carter, The Tomb of Tut-Ankh-Amen, III (2000 Reprint edn, London, 1933). H. Carter and A. C. Mace, The Tomb of Tut-Ankh-Amen, I (London, 1923). T. M. Davis, The Tombs of Harmhabi and Toutânkhamanou (2001 Reprint edn, London, 1912). E. S. Edwards, ‘Some Reflections on the Tutankhamun Exhibition’, The Burlington Magazine 114 (1972), 202–8. Z. Hawass, Discovering Tutankhamun: From Howard Carter to DNA (Cairo, 2013). Z. Hawass and S. Vannini, Tutankhamun: The Treasures of the Tomb (London, 2018). T. Hoving, Tutankhamun: The Untold Story (New York, 1978). T. G. H. James, Howard Carter: The Path to Tutankhamun (Tauris 2001 edn, New York, 1992). N. Kawai et al., ‘The Ceremonial Canopied Chariot of Tutankhamun (JE61990 and JE60705) A Tentative Virtual Reconstruction’, CIPEG 4 (2020), 1–11. N. Reeves, The Complete Tutankhamun (Cairo, 1990). N. Reeves, ‘Tutankhamun’s Mask Reconsidered’, Bulletin of the Egyptological Seminar: The Art and Culture of Ancient Egypt: Studies in Honor of Dorothea Arnold 19 (2015), 511–26. N. Reeves and J. H. Taylor, Howard Carter Before Tutankhamun (London, 1992). N. Reeves and R. H. Wilkinson, The Complete Valley of the Kings (London, 1996). The Griffith Institute, ‘Tutankhamun: Anatomy of an Excavation’, The Griffith Institute, University of Oxford, accessed . Theban Mapping Project, ‘KV 62 The Tomb of Tutankhamun’. Unknown Author, ‘Work at the Tomb of Tutankhamun’, The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 33 (1975), 96–108. K. R. Weeks, ‘The Component Parts of KV Royal Tombs’, in R. H. Wilkinson and K. R. Weeks (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of the Valley of the Kings (New York, 2014), 98—117. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tutankhamun's Funeral. Following his death, the body of Tutankhamun underwent mummification. From studying his body, archaeologists can identify strange aspects of his preservation. We also know many details of his burial, thanks to paintings in the tomb, and curious items discovered nearby. From these sources, we can imagine King Tutankhamun’s funeral… Episode details: Date: c. 1334 BCE. King: Neb-kheperu-Ra Tut-ankh-Amun. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Keith Zizza https://www.keithzizza.net/ Music: Michael Levy http://www.ancientlyre.com/ Music by Ancient Lyric http://www.bettinajoydeguzman.com/ Sound interludes by Luke Chaos https://twitter.com/Luke_Chaos Audio mixing/editing by Vincent Cavanagh. Select Bibliography: H. Beinlich, ‘Zwischen Tod und Grab: Tutanchamun und das Begräbnisritual’, Studien zur Altägyptischen Kultur 34 (2006), 17–31. R. Connolly and G. Godenho, ‘Further Thoughts on Tutankhamun’s Death and Embalming’, in C. Price et al. (eds.), Mummies, Magic, and Medicine in Ancient Egypt: Multidisciplinary Essays for Rosalie David (2016), 240–8. T. M. Davis, The Tombs of Harmhabi and Toutânkhamanou (2001 Reprint edn, London, 1912). A. Dodson, Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation (2nd edn, Cairo, 2017). M. Eaton-Krauss, The Unknown Tutankhamun (London, 2016). C. El Mahdy, Tutankhamen: The Life and Death of a Boy King (London, 1999). L. Gabolde and M. Gabolde, ‘Les temples “mémoriaux” de Thoutmosis II et Toutânkhamon (un rituel destiné à des statues sur barques)’, Le Bulletin de l’Institut français d’archéologie orientale 89 (1989), 127—178. M. Gabolde, Toutankhamon (Paris, 2015). W. B. Harer, ‘New Evidence for King Tutankhamen’s Death: His Bizarre Embalming’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 97 (2011), 228–33. R. G. Harrison and A. B. Abdalla, ‘The Remains of Tutankhamun’, Antiquity 46 (1972), 8–14. Z. Hawass, Discovering Tutankhamun: From Howard Carter to DNA (Cairo, 2013). Z. Hawass and S. N. Saleem, Scanning the Pharaohs: CT Imaging in the New Kingdom Royal Mummies (Cairo, 2016). K. Hussein et al., ‘Paleopathology of the Juvenile Pharaoh Tutankhamun: 90th Anniversary of Discovery’, Virchows Archiv 463 (2013), 475–9. N. Kawai, ‘Studies in the Reign of Tutankhamun’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Johns Hopkins University (2005). N. Reeves, The Complete Tutankhamun (Cairo, 1990). J. Tyldesley, Tutankhamen’s Curse: The Developing History of an Egyptian King (London, 2012). H. E. Winlock and D. Arnold, Tutankhamun’s Funeral (Revised edn, New York, 2010). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Approach with caution. In March 2025, a group calling itself the “Khafre Research Project” posted visual information online about the pyramid of Khafra at Giza. The group claims that Synthetic Aperture Radar (or SAR) scans at Giza have revealed “structures” beneath the pyramids. Using digital modelling (and some AI), they suggest that Khafra’s pyramid and the Giza plateau hide many more chambers. There are a couple facets to this. The 2022 article publishing raw data about SAR scanning at Giza: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/14/20/5231 Overview of claims and evidence: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/pyramids-of-giza-new-discovery-structures/ I don't usually do "debunking" content or engage with pseudoscience directly. If you'd like to learn more about the truth vs fiction, consider following these creators: Milo Rossi (Miniminuteman): https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TgAp_Ry6dcM Stefan Milo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=341Lv8JLLV4 Flint Dibble: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQMfGuKgTwU Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A three-part miniseries, produced by Spike TV. "Tut" tells a story of the young ruler, as he wields power, confronts enemies, and deals with love and loss. Having watched the show during lockdown, I give my thoughts, with a special focus on the characters vs their historical counterparts... "Tut" at IMDB https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3214310/  The History of Egypt Podcast Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An interview with Nozomu Kawai, Professor of Egyptology at Kanazawa University, Japan. In this episode, we discuss the background of Tutankhamun's reign and family; and get to grips with some of the people who have appeared in the podcast (e.g. Maia, Sennedjem, and Userhat Hatiay). Prof. Kawai is an expert on this period, and his insights have been wonderful. Interviewee details: Prof. Nozomu Kawai on Academia.edu Profile at Kanazawa University An interview with the ARCE Podcast. The History of Egypt Podcast Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A life cut short. By 1334 BCE, Tut'ankhamun had ruled Egypt for approx. 10 years. Sadly, this would be his last. At the age of nineteen or so, the young ruler died. How did it happen? There are a few major hypotheses (illness, accident, or murder). However, as technology and medical science develops, some ideas seem less likely than others. In this episode, I review the major studies and proposals, and present a hypothetical reconstruction of the King's final moments... Date: c. 1334 BCE. King: Neb-kheperu-Ra Tut-ankh-Amun. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Keith Zizza https://www.keithzizza.net/ Music: Michael Levy http://www.ancientlyre.com/. Music by Ancient Lyric http://www.bettinajoydeguzman.com/. Sound interludes by Luke Chaos https://twitter.com/Luke_Chaos. Audio mixing/editing by Vincent Cavanagh. Hear additional music on my Spotify Playlist. Select Bibliography: B. Brier, The Murder of Tutankhamen: A True Story (New York, 1998). R. Connolly and G. Godenho, ‘Further Thoughts on Tutankhamun’s Death and Embalming’, in C. Price et al. (eds.), Mummies, magic and medicine in ancient Egypt, Multidisciplinary essays for Rosalie David (2016), 240–8. A. Dodson, Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation (2nd edn, Cairo, 2017). M. Eaton-Krauss, The Unknown Tutankhamun (London, 2016). C. El Mahdy, Tutankhamen: The Life and Death of a Boy King (London, 1999). M. Gabolde, Toutankhamon (Paris, 2015). J. G. Gamble, ‘King Tutankhamun’s Family and Demise’, JAMA 303 (2010), 2471–5. W. B. Harer, ‘New Evidence for King Tutankhamen’s Death: His Bizarre Embalming’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 97 (2011), 228–33. R. G. Harrison and A. B. Abdalla, ‘The Remains of Tutankhamun’, Antiquity 46 (1972), 8–14. Z. Hawass, Discovering Tutankhamun: From Howard Carter to DNA (Cairo, 2013). Z. Hawass and S. N. Saleem, Scanning the Pharaohs: CT Imaging in the New Kingdom Royal Mummies (Cairo, 2016). K. Hussein et al., ‘Paleopathology of the Juvenile Pharaoh Tutankhamun: 90th Anniversary of Discovery’, Heidelberg Virchows Archiv 463 (2013), 475–9. N. Kawai, ‘Studies in the Reign of Tutankhamun’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Johns Hopkins University (2005). N. Reeves, The Complete Tutankhamun (Cairo, 1990). F. Rühli and S. Ikram, ‘Purported Medical Diagnoses of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, c. 1325 BC-’, HOMO – Journal of Comparative Human Biology 65 (2014), 51–63. J. Tyldesley, Tutankhamen’s Curse: The Developing History of an Egyptian King (London, 2012). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

King Tut'ankhamun was young, rich, and well-equipped for sport. His tomb contained an arsenal of goods, including chariots, bows, arrows, throwing sticks, and more. Also, artistic images convey the idea of the pharaoh as a triumphant hunter and warrior. In this episode, we explore evidence for Tut'ankhamun as a sportsman, pursuing game across the desert and through the marshes. From archaeology and art, the King's pastimes come through clearly... Episode details: Date: c.1334 BCE. King: Neb-khepeur-Ra Tut-'ankh-Amun. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music: Keith Zizza https://www.keithzizza.net/. Music: Michael Levy http://www.ancientlyre.com/. Interludes: Luke Chaos https://twitter.com/Luke_Chaos. Audio mixing and editing: Vincent Cavanagh. Hear additional music on my Spotify Playlist. Select Bibliography: J. van Dijk and M. Eaton-Krauss, ‘Tutankhamun at Memphis’, Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts, Abteilung Kairo 42 (1986), 35–42. M. Eaton-Krauss, The Unknown Tutankhamun (London, 2016). M. Eaton-Krauss and E. Graefe, The Small Golden Shrine from the Tomb of Tutankhamun (Oxford, 1985). M. Gabolde, Toutankhamon (Paris, 2015). S. Hassan, The Sphinx. Its History in the Light of Recent Excavations (1949). Z. Hawass, Discovering Tutankhamun: From Howard Carter to DNA (2013). N. Kawai, ‘Studies in the Reign of Tutankhamun’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Johns Hopkins University (2005). W. McLeod, Composite Bows from the Tomb of Tut’ankhamūn, (1970). W. McLeod, Self Bows and Other Archery Tackle from the Tomb of Tut’ankhamūn (1982). C. A. Reed and D. J. Osborn, ‘Taxonomic Transgressions in Tutankhamun’s Treasures’, American Journal of Archaeology 82 (1978), 273–83. N. Reeves, The Complete Tutankhamun (Cairo, 1990). ‘Resthouse of Tutankhamen’, Digital Giza, http://giza.fas.harvard.edu/sites/2043/full/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Maya, Ay, Horemheb, and others. The men who served King Tut'ankhamun were unusually prominent and powerful. The Overseer of the Treasury (Maya), the Supreme General (Horemheb) and the highest courtier (Ay) may have divided power among themselves. Why were they so powerful? The youth of Tut'ankhamun, and developments in royal power since the reign of Akhenaten, may have weakened the authority or influence of the individual ruler. This was the next phase in an ongoing trend, as the power of the pharaohs evolved over time... Epilogue: We meet the King's servants, including his personal scribe (Iny); his personal driver (Per-aa-neheh); and the chief manager of the palaces (Ipy). Episode details: Date: c. 1334 BCE. King: Neb-kheperu-Ra Tut-ankh-Amun. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Logo: Statue of Horemheb, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Music by Keith Zizza https://www.keithzizza.net/. Music by Ancient Lyric http://www.bettinajoydeguzman.com/. Sound interludes by Luke Chaos https://twitter.com/Luke_Chaos. Audio mixing/editing by Vincent Cavanagh. Hear additional music on my Spotify Playlist. Website www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Facebook www.facebook.com/egyptpodcast. Twitter www.twitter.com/egyptianpodcast. See other shows from the Agora Podcast Network. The History of Egypt Podcast endorses RA EGYPTIAN, the clean, natural skincare line with products derived from ancient Egyptian sources. Use the checkout code EGYPT to enjoy 30% off your order.   Select Bibliography: A. Dodson, Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation (2nd edn, Cairo, 2017). A. M. Gnirs, Militär und Gesellschaft: Ein Beitrag zur Sozialgeschichte des Neuen Reiches (Heidelberg, 1996). N. Kawai, ‘Studies in the Reign of Tutankhamun’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Johns Hopkins University (2005). G. T. Martin, The Tomb of Maya and Meryt I: The Reliefs, Inscriptions, and Commentary (EES Excavation Memoir 99; London, 2012). G. T. Martin, The Memphite Tomb of Ḥoremḥeb, Commander-in-Chief of Tutʻankhamūn, 1 (London, 1989). G. T. Martin, The Hidden Tombs of Memphis: New Discoveries From the Time of Tutankhamun and Ramesses the Great (London, 1991). O. Schaden, ‘The God’s Father Ay’, PhD Thesis, University of Minnesota (1977). A. R. Schulman, ‘Military Rank, Title, and Organization in the Egyptian New Kingdom’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, University of Pennsylvania (1962). J. J. Shirley, ‘Crisis And Restructuring Of The State: From The Second Intermediate Period To The Advent Of The Ramesses’, in J. C. Moreno García (ed.), Ancient Egyptian Administration (Leiden, 2013), 521—606. A. J. Spalinger, War in Ancient Egypt: The New Kingdom (Malden, 2005). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The King's mummy, daily routine, and children. Thanks to the preservation of his burial, we know a lot about Tut'ankhamun's daily life and habits. Aspects of his routine, like his shaving kit, walking sticks, and even his children survive to this day. Some of these stories are curious, others carry echoes of tragedy and loss. This episode contains detailed descriptions of human remains and themes like stillbirth. Date: c.1334 BCE King: Neb-kheperu-Ra Tut-ankh-Amun Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Keith Zizza https://www.keithzizza.net/ Music by Ancient Lyric http://www.bettinajoydeguzman.com/ Sound Interludes by Luke Chaos https://twitter.com/Luke_Chaos Audio mixing/editing by Vincent Cavanagh. Hear additional music on my Spotify Playlist. Facebook www.facebook.com/egyptpodcast Twitter www.twitter.com/egyptianpodcast Select Bibliography: G. M. Crowfoot and N. de G. Davies, ‘The Tunic of Tut’ankhamūn’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 27 (1941), 113–30. D. E. Derry, ‘Report Upon the Two Human Foetuses Discovered in the Tomb of Tut.Ankh-Amen’, in H. Carter (ed.), The Tomb of Tut-Ankh-Amen, Discovered by the Late Earl of Carnarvon and Howard Carter, Volume III (London, 1933), 167–9. M. Eaton-Krauss, The Unknown Tutankhamun (London, 2016). M. Eaton-Krauss and E. Graefe, The Small Golden Shrine from the Tomb of Tutankhamun (Oxford, 1985). M. Gabolde, Toutankhamon (Paris, 2015). Z. Hawass, Discovering Tutankhamun: From Howard Carter to DNA (Cairo, 2013). Z. Hawass et al., ‘Ancestry and Pathology in King Tutankhamun’s Family’, JAMA 303 (2010), 638–47. Z. Hawass and S. N. Saleem, ‘Mummified Daughters of King Tutankhamun: Archeologic and CT Studies’, American Journal of Roentgenology 197 (2011), W829–36. Z. Hawass and S. N. Saleem, Scanning the Pharaohs: CT Imaging in the New Kingdom Royal Mummies (Cairo, 2016). Z. Hawass and S. Vannini, Tutankhamun: The Treasures of the Tomb (London, 2018). N. Kawai, ‘Studies in the Reign of Tutankhamun’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Johns Hopkins University (2005). N. Reeves, The Complete Tutankhamun (Cairo, 1990). G. M. Vogelsang-Eastwood, Tutankhamun’s Wardrobe (Rotterdam, 1999). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The King's Great Wife. Queen Ankh-es-en-Amun (“She Lives for Amun”) was slightly older than her husband. Having grown up in the court, Ankhesenamun was established in power and experienced in royal life. However, she is far less prominent than her famous predecessors (Nefertiti and Tiye). Why? In this episode, we explore some of the traces of Ankhesenamun’s life, and her role as the King’s Great Wife. Titles of Ankhesenamun: “The King’s Great Wife, his Beloved” “Hereditary Noble” “Great of Praise” "Sweet of Love” “Lady of Charm” “Ruling Lady of the Two Lands” “The Ruling Lady of Southern and Northern Egypt” Episode info: Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Keith Zizza. Music by Ancient Lyric. Sound interludes by Luke Chaos. Audio mixing / editing by Vincent Cavanaugh. Facebook www.facebook.com/egyptpodcast. Twitter www.twitter.com/egyptianpodcast. See other shows from the Agora Podcast Network. Select Bibliography: A. Dodson, Amarna Sunrise: Egypt From Golden Age to Age of Heresy (Cairo, 2014). A. Dodson, Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation (2nd edn, Cairo, 2017). M. Eaton-Krauss, The Unknown Tutankhamun (London, 2016). M. Eaton-Krauss and E. Graefe, The Small Golden Shrine from the Tomb of Tutankhamun (Oxford, 1985). Epigraphic Survey, Reliefs and Inscriptions at Luxor Temple – Volume I: The Festival Procession of Opet in the Colonnade Hall (Chicago, 1994). M. Gabolde, Toutankhamon (Paris, 2015). W. Grajetzki, Ancient Egyptian Queens: A Hieroglyphic Dictionary (London, 2005). Z. Hawass, Discovering Tutankhamun: From Howard Carter to DNA (Cairo, 2013). Z. Hawass and S. Vannini, Tutankhamun: The Treasures of the Tomb (London, 2018). N. Kawai, ‘Studies in the Reign of Tutankhamun’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Johns Hopkins University (2005). N. Reeves, The Complete Tutankhamun (Cairo, 1990). G. Robins, Women in Ancient Egypt (London, 1993). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amun, Mut, Khonsu, and the King. Once a year, the city of Waset (Thebes / Luxor) hosted an enormous celebration. The Beautiful Festival of Opet honoured the great gods Amun-Ra, Mut, and Khonsu. The deities would emerge from their secret shrines, and ride in procession through the city and on the river. King Tut'ankhamun would lead these events, renewing the power of the gods and his right to rule... This is a big episode, probably best consumed over several sittings. Enjoy! Episode Details: Read the full publication of Tut’ankhamun’s Opet reliefs in The Epigraphic Survey, Reliefs and Inscriptions at Luxor Temple - Volume I: The Festival Procession of Opet in the Colonnade Hall (Chicago, 1994). ⁠PDF available free from the University of Chicago⁠. Date: c. 1336 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Keith Zizza. Music by Ancient Lyric. Music by Jeffrey Goodman. Sound interludes by Luke Chaos. Special voiceover work by vorob1003. See other shows from the Agora Podcast Network. Select Bibliography: L. Bell, ‘Aspects of the Cult of the Deified Tutankhamun’, in P. Posener-Kriéger (ed.), Mélanges Gamal Eddin Mokhtar, Bibliothèque d’étude 97 (Cairo, 1985), 31–59. L. Bell, ‘Luxor Temple and the Cult of the Royal Ka’, Journal of Near Eastern Studies 44 (1985), 251–94. J. C. Darnell, ‘Opet Festival’, UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology (2010). N. Kawai, ‘Studies in the Reign of Tutankhamun’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Johns Hopkins University (2005). L. Manniche, Music and Musicians in Ancient Egypt (London, 1991). The Epigraphic Survey, Reliefs and Inscriptions at Luxor Temple – Volume I: The Festival Procession of Opet in the Colonnade Hall (Chicago, 1994). M. Verner, Temple of the World: Sanctuaries, Cults, and Mysteries of Ancient Egypt (Prague, 2013). W. Waitkus, Untersuchungen zu Kult und Funktion des Luxortempels (Gladbeck, 2008). R. H. Wilkinson, The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt (London, 2000). R. H. Wilkinson, The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt (New York, 2003). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Annual memberships now available. Patreon recently introduced a new feature: a full year's subscription, in one go. Sign up today and get 10% off your subscription. Learn more at www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast Thanks for your support! Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shrines, Temples, Sanctuaries. Dr. Briana Jackson is a specialist in the worship of Aten. The sanctuaries, shrines, temples, and monuments of Akhenaten appear throughout Egypt, Wawat, and Kush. In this interview, Dr. Jackson discusses the Aten temples, as well as her work on YouTube. Learn more about Dr. Briana Jackson on her website, Academia.edu, Twitter, YouTube, and many more (Linktree). Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

News from the Field (2025) Part 2. The past excavation season has been extraordinarily productive. Beyond the new royal tomb of Thutmose II we also have a SECOND royal tomb, at Abydos! The Grand Egyptian Museum is finally opening in full. And archaeological teams throughout the land have uncovered wonderful things. We also remember some prominent scholars who passed away recently. Chapter times and links to discovery reports with photos: 00:22 – New tombs at Asasif https://southasasif.wordpress.com/2024/11/01/discovery-announcement/. 02:21 – New tombs at Dra Abu Naga https://www.facebook.com/tourismandantiq/posts/pfbid02eqYh7RAiCqrxxDir9Pvbhu4YV1samnfLLtdJUfgNqvNbF6mVHWYkMGHTWixL7efjl 04:31 – Hatshepsut’s Valley Temple discoveries https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/538198.aspx 09:08 – Karnak Treasure Hoard https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/541255.aspx 10:50 – New tombs at Saqqara https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/537986.aspx 12:29 – Bastet Tooth, ancient predator https://www.sci.news/paleontology/bastetodon-syrtos-13673.html and https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2024.2442472 13:52 – Gold Mines in the Eastern Desert https://www.facebook.com/luxortimesmagazine/posts/pfbid024ATNP7GsdFwC35EgngA7Ys51MrwjrzsMPvPMXkty4oMt1SLC46g1tmRBVSEfpyXEl 15:28 – The Grand Egyptian Museum OPENING https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/1238/539361/Egypt/Tourism/A-world-gem-Grand-Egyptian-Museum-set-for-grand-op.aspx 20:18 – Obituaries 2024 & 2025. 31:24 – Breaking News: New Royal Tomb at Abydos https://www.egyptindependent.com/royal-cemetery-from-second-intermediate-period-and-pottery-workshop-discovered-in-sohag/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reconstructing Music. Michael Levy is a renowned composer for ancient instruments and music. Using replicas of artefacts, and taking inspiration from texts and art, Michael creates wonderful songs based in the ancient styles. Michael sat down with the podcast to discuss his recent works, including his wonderful albums of ancient Egyptian compositions... Find Michael Levy at his website, on Spotify, on Bandcamp, on Apple Music and Amazon. Learn more about The History of Egypt Podcast at www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gold in them hills. Tut'ankhamun is famous for his gold. But where did it come from? And how did the pharaoh pay for his costly Restoration project? In this episode, we briefly explore some records for Tut’ankhamun’s gold miners and how they obtained that precious yellow metal… Date: c. 1336 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Keith Zizza. Music by Jeffrey Goodman. Audio mixing/editing by Vincent Cavanagh.  See other shows from the Agora Podcast Network. Select Bibliography: A. A. M. A. Amer, ‘Tutankhamun’s Decree for the Chief Treasurer Maya’, Revue d’Égyptologie 36 (1985), 17–20. M. W. Brown, ‘“Keeping Enemies Closer:” Ascribed Material Agency in Ancient Egyptian Rock Inscriptions and the Projection of Presence and Power in Liminal Regions’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Yale University (2015). J. C. Darnell, ‘A Bureaucratic Challenge? Archaeology and Administration in a Desert Environment (Second Millennium BCE)’, in J. C. Moreno García (ed.), Ancient Egyptian Administration, Handbook of Oriental Studies 104 (Leiden, 2013), 785–830. J. C. Darnell, ‘Tutankhamun in the Wadi Abbad’, in J. Kamrin et al. (eds.), Guardian of Ancient Egypt: Studies in Honor of Zahi Hawass (Prague, 2020), 343–55. J. C. Darnell, Egypt and the Deserts (Elements in Ancient Egypt in Context; Cambridge, 2021). N. de G. Davies, The Tomb of Huy: Viceroy of Nubia in the Reign of Tutankhamun (No. 40) (London, 1926). S. L. D. Katary, ‘Land Tenure and Taxation’, in T. Wilkinson (ed.), The Egyptian World (New York, 2007), 185–204. N. Kawai, ‘Studies in the Reign of Tutankhamun’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Johns Hopkins University (2005). D. Klemm et al., ‘Gold of the Pharaohs – 6000 Years of Gold Mining in Egypt and Nubia’, Journal of African Earth Sciences 33 (2001), 643–59. R. Klemm and D. Klemm, Gold and Gold Mining in Ancient Egypt and Nubia: Geoarchaeology of the Ancient Gold Mining Sites in the Egyptian and Sudanese Eastern Deserts (Berlin, 2013). E.-S. Mahfouz, ‘Les directeurs des déserts aurifères d’Amon’, Revue d’Égyptologie 56 (2005), 55–78. W. J. Murnane, Texts from the Amarna Period in Egypt (Atlanta, 1995). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Living Images. King Tut’ankhamun is famous for the Restoration of traditional temples. But what did that involve? Records from the King’s reign give us insight to the practical business. We see the repairs of Karnak and Luxor Temples, royal decrees for new statues, and we meet the man who made the gods’ holy images… Date: c. 1336 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Keith Zizza Music by Ancient Lyric Music by Jeffrey Goodman. Audio mixing/editing by Vincent Cavanagh. See other shows from the Agora Podcast Network. Select Bibliography:  B. G. Davies, Egyptian Historical Records of the Later Eighteenth Dynasty, VI (Warminster, 1982). J. van Dijk, ‘Maya’s Chief Sculptor Userhat-Hatiay. With a Note on the Length of the Reign of Horemheb’, Gottinger Miszellen 148 (1995), 29–34. J. van Dijk and M. Eaton-Krauss, ‘Tutankhamun at Memphis’, Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts, Abteilung Kairo 42 (1986), 35–42. A. Dodson, Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation (2nd edn, Cairo, 2017). M. Eaton-Krauss, ‘Four Notes on the Early Eighteenth Dynasty’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 84 (1998), 205–10. M. Eaton-Krauss, ‘Tutankhamun at Karnak’, Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts, Abteilung Kairo (1988), 1–11. M. Eaton-Krauss, The Unknown Tutankhamun (London, 2016). M. Gabolde, Toutankhamon (Paris, 2015). N. Kawai, ‘Studies in the Reign of Tutankhamun’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Johns Hopkins University (2005). W. J. Murnane, Texts from the Amarna Period in Egypt (Atlanta, 1995). W. J. Murnane, ‘The Bark of Amun on the Third Pylon at Karnak’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 16 (1979), 11–27. The Epigraphic Survey, Reliefs and Inscriptions at Luxor Temple – Volume I: The Festival Procession of Opet in the Colonnade Hall (Chicago, 1994). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Caregiver and Tutor. Young Tut’ankhamun had multiple caregivers. We have already met Maia, the menat of the King. Now, we meet Sen-nedjem, the menay. From his large (but overlooked) tomb, Sen-nedjem left a record of his work, family, and beliefs. We explore this monument and get a sense of his world… Date: c. 1353 – 1340 BCE Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Keith Zizza. Music by Jeffrey Goodman. Audio mixing/editing by Vincent Cavanagh.  Select Bibliography: A. Dodson, Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation (2nd edn, 2017). M. Eaton-Krauss, The Unknown Tutankhamun (2016). M. El-Ghandour, ‘Coffin of Senqed from Saqqara’, in B. G. Ockinga (ed.), A Tomb from the Reign of Tutankhamun at Akhmim, The Australian Centre for Egyptology Reports 10 (1997), 49–53. M. Gabolde, Toutankhamon (2015). Z. Hawass, Discovering Tutankhamun: From Howard Carter to DNA (Cairo, 2013). N. Kawai, ‘Studies in the Reign of Tutankhamun’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Johns Hopkins University (2005). B. G. Ockinga, A Tomb from the Reign of Tutankhamun at Akhmim (1997). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One who nourished the god. Tut’ankhamun never refers to his birth mother. And until 1996, historians had little idea of the person who raised this young pharaoh. That changed with the discovery of Maia, the royal menat (wet-nurse and teacher). The opening of her tomb, at Saqqara, dramatically expanded our understanding of Tut’ankhamun’s early life. Today, we dive deep into Maia’s career and place in society... Date: c. 1353 – 1340 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music and "Maia" vocal performance by Ancient Lyric. Special music by Luke Chaos. Music by Keith Zizza. Music by Music by Jeffrey Goodman. See other shows from the Agora Podcast Network. Read Prof. Alain Zivie’s discussion of Maia and the princess Meritaten at Academia.edu. Select Bibliography: A. Dodson, Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation (2nd edn, Cairo, 2017). M. Eaton-Krauss, The Unknown Tutankhamun (London, 2016). E. El-Kilany and H. Mahran, ‘What Lies Under the Chair! A Study in Ancient Egyptian Private Tomb Scenes, Part I: Animals’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 51 (2015), 243–64. M. Gabolde, Toutankhamon (Paris, 2015). Z. Hawass, Discovering Tutankhamun: From Howard Carter to DNA (Cairo, 2013). N. Kawai, ‘Studies in the Reign of Tutankhamun’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Johns Hopkins University (2005). A. Schnell, ‘Breastfeeding Without Giving Birth’, La Leche League International (2020). B. Wilson-Clay, ‘Induced Lactation’, Surrogacy.com (2010). S. Wittig and D. Spatz, ‘Induced Lactation’, MCN, The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing 33 (2008), 76–81. A. Zivie, ‘From Maia to Meritaten’, Saqqara Newsletter 17 (2019), 47–60. A. Zivie et al., La tombe de Maïa, mère nourricière du roi Toutânkhamon et grande du harem (Bub. I. 20) (Toulouse, 2009). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When archaeologists opened the tomb King Tut'ankhamun, they found many of his childhood possessions inside. Today, we can get a sense of his life by looking at his games, toys, and clothes. Date: c. 1353 – 1340 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Keith Zizza. Music by Ancient Lyric. Music by Jeffrey Goodman. YouTube: Dr. Irving Finkel plays the Royal Game of Ur with Tom Scott. Dig It with Raven plays the Royal Game of Ur in Two Parts (Part 1 and Part 2). Audio mixing/editing by Vincent Cavanagh. See other shows from the Agora Podcast Network. Select Bibliography: Online Resources: Dr. Irving Finkel plays the Royal Game of Ur with Tom Scott (YouTube) Dig It with Raven plays the Royal Game of Ur, in Two Parts (YouTube Part 1; YouTube Part 2). Introduction to “Twenty Squares: An Ancient Board Game,” The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Introduction to “Senet and Twenty Squares: Two Board Games Played by Ancient Egyptians,” The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Nicholas Brown, “Mannequin of Tutankhamun,” ARCE.org (Website). Blog: Senet in the Book of the Dead (UCL). H. Carter, The Tomb of Tut-Ankh-Amen, Discovered by the Late Earl of Carnarvon and Howard Carter, Volume II (New York, 1927). H. Carter, The Tomb of Tut-Ankh-Amen, Discovered by the Late Earl of Carnarvon and Howard Carter, Volume III (London, 1933). H. Carter and A. C. Mace, The Tomb of Tut-Ankh-Amen, Discovered by the Late Earl of Carnarvon and Howard Carter, Volume I (London, 1923). G. M. Crowfoot and N. de G. Davies, ‘The Tunic of Tut’ankhamūn’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 27 (1941), 113–30. Dodson, Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation (2nd edn, Cairo, 2017). M. Eaton-Krauss, The Unknown Tutankhamun (London, 2016). E. S. Edwards, Tutankhamun, His Tomb and its Treasures (New York, 1976). L. Finkel, ‘On the Rules for the Royal Game of Ur’, in I. L. Finkel (ed.), Ancient Board Games in Perspective: Papers from the 1990 British Museum Colloquium, with Additional Contributions (London, 2007), 16–32. M. Gabolde, Toutankhamon (Paris, 2015). Z. Hawass, Discovering Tutankhamun: From Howard Carter to DNA (Cairo, 2013). Z. Hawass and S. Vannini, Tutankhamun: The Treasures of the Tomb (London, 2018). N. A. Hoskins, ‘Woven Patterns on Tutankhamun Textiles’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 47 (2011), 199–215. N. Kawai, ‘Studies in the Reign of Tutankhamun’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Johns Hopkins University (2005). P. A. Piccione, ‘The Egyptian Game of Senet and the Migration of the Soul’, in I. L. Finkel (ed.), Ancient Board Games in Perspective: Papers from the 1990 British Museum Colloquium, with Additional Contributions (London, 2007), 69–86. E. B. Pusch, ‘The Egyptian “Game of Twenty Squares:” Is it Related to “Marbles” and the Game of the Snake?’, in I. L. Finkel (ed.), Ancient Board Games in Perspective: Papers from the 1990 British Museum Colloquium, with Additional Contributions (London, 2007), 69–86. N. Reeves, The Complete Tutankhamun (Cairo, 1990). G. M. Vogelsang-Eastwood, Tutankhamun’s Wardrobe (Rotterdam, 1999). S. Wright, ‘12 Stunning Garments Re-created From Piles Of King Tut’s 3,400-Year-Old Laundry’, Ranker.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From baby to boy. For all his fame and glamour, the life of Tut'ankhamun was more difficult than it seems. The young king dealt with physical challenges and a social environment that treated him as an "idea," more than a person. Today, studies of his mummy give us clues at his early life... Date c.1353 – 1343 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Jeffrey Goodman. Music by Ancient Lyric. Music by Keith Zizza. Audio mixing/editing by Vincent Cavanagh. Select Bibliography: T. Bryce, The Routledge Handbook of the Peoples and Places of Ancient Western Asia: The Near East from the Early Bronze Age to the Fall of the Persian Empire (London, 2009). V. Cordani, ‘Aziru’s Journey to Egypt and its Chronological Value’, in J. Mynářová (ed.), Egypt and the Near East – The Crossroads (Prague, 2011), 103–16. W. L. Moran, The Amarna Letters (Baltimore, 1992). W. J. Murnane, The Road to Kadesh: A Historical Interpretation of the Battle Reliefs of King Sety I at Karnak (Chicago, 1985). W. J. Murnane, Texts from the Amarna Period in Egypt (Atlanta, 1995). J. Mynářová, Language of Amarna – Language of Diplomacy: Perspectives on the Amarna Letters (Prague, 2007). J. Mynářová, ‘Egypt Among the Great Powers and Its Relations to the Neighboring Vassal Kingdoms in the Southern Levant According to the Written Evidence’:, in B. Eder and R. Pruzsinszky (eds.), Policies of Exchange Political Systems and Modes of Interaction in the Aegean and the Near East in the 2nd Millenium B.C.E: Proceedings of the International Symposium at the University of Freiburg Institute for Archaeological Studies, 30th May – 2nd June 2012, 2 (2015), 157–66. N. Naʼaman, Canaan in the Second Millennium B.C.E: Collected Essays, Volume 2 (Winona Lake, 2005). A. F. Rainey, The El-Amarna Correspondence: A New Edition of the Cuneiform Letters From the Site of El-Amarna Based On Collations of All Extant Tablets (Leiden, 2015). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Interlude: The greatest treachery. By the end of Akhenaten's reign, events in Syria had developed their own momentum. Rulers like Aziru, prince of Amurru, were causing trouble. Akhenaten had to deal with Aziru as best he could. But the death of Akhenaten interrupted any reconciliation. Soon after, Aziru was looking to other opportunities... Date c.1345 – 1340 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Michael Levy. Music by Keith Zizza. Audio mixing/editing by Vincent Cavanagh. See other shows from the Agora Podcast Network. Select Bibliography: Additional references in the bibliographies of Episode 123 and Episode 124. V. Cordani, ‘Aziru’s Journey to Egypt and its Chronological Value’, in J. Mynářová (ed.), Egypt and the Near East – The Crossroads (Prague, 2011), 103–16. W. L. Moran, The Amarna Letters (Baltimore, 1992). W. J. Murnane, The Road to Kadesh: A Historical Interpretation of the Battle Reliefs of King Sety I at Karnak (Chicago, 1985). W. J. Murnane, Texts from the Amarna Period in Egypt (Atlanta, 1995). J. Mynářová, Language of Amarna – Language of Diplomacy: Perspectives on the Amarna Letters (Prague, 2007). J. Mynářová, ‘Egypt Among the Great Powers and Its Relations to the Neighboring Vassal Kingdoms in the Southern Levant According to the Written Evidence’, in B. Eder and R. Pruzsinszky (eds.), Policies of Exchange Political Systems and Modes of Interaction in the Aegean and the Near East in the 2nd Millenium B.C.E: Proceedings of the International Symposium at the University of Freiburg Institute for Archaeological Studies, 30th May – 2nd June 2012, 2 (2015), 157–66. N. Naʼaman, Canaan in the Second Millennium B.C.E: Collected Essays, Volume 2 (Winona Lake, 2005). A. F. Rainey, The El-Amarna Correspondence: A New Edition of the Cuneiform Letters From the Site of El-Amarna Based On Collations of All Extant Tablets (Leiden, 2015). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Interlude: Warlords and Adventurers. In the second millennium BCE, a new power rose to the north of Egypt. The Kingdom of Hatti (aka the land of the Hittites) emerged as a significant political, economic, and military force. In this episode, we introduce the Hittite state and its early deeds before the reign of Tut'ankhamun. Date c.1790 – 1350 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Michael Levy. Music by Keith Zizza. Episode logo adapted from a photo by Carole Raddato via Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 2.0. Image cropped/enhanced. Check out the new Hittite series on The Ancient World Pocast. Select Bibliography: M. Alparslan and M. Dogan-Alparslan, ‘The Hittites and their Geography: Problems of Hittite Historical Geography’, European Journal of Archaeology 18 (2015), 90–110. T. Bryce, The Routledge Handbook of the Peoples and Places of Ancient Western Asia: The Near East from the Early Bronze Age to the Fall of the Persian Empire (London, 2009). E. Devecchi, ‘Suppiluliuma’s Syrian Campaigns in Light of Documents from Ugarit’, in S. de Martino and J. L. Miller (eds.), New Results and New Questions on the Reign of Suppiluliuma I (Florence, 2013). H. Güterbock, ‘The Deeds of Suppiluliuma as Told by His Son, Mursili II’, Journal of Cuneiform Studies 1041–68, 75–98, 107–30. W. L. Moran, The Amarna Letters (Baltimore, 1992). W. J. Murnane, The Road to Kadesh: A Historical Interpretation of the Battle Reliefs of King Sety I at Karnak (Chicago, 1985). W. J. Murnane, Texts from the Amarna Period in Egypt (Atlanta, 1995). W. J. Murnane, ‘Imperial Egypt and the Limits of Her Power’, in R. Cohen and R. Westbrook (eds.), Amarna Diplomacy: The Beginnings of International Relations (Baltimore, 2000), 101–11. J. Mynářová, Language of Amarna – Language of Diplomacy: Perspectives on the Amarna Letters (Prague, 2007). A. F. Rainey, The El-Amarna Correspondence: A New Edition of the Cuneiform Letters From the Site of El-Amarna Based On Collations of All Extant Tablets (Leiden, 2015). A. Spalinger, ‘Egyptian-Hittite Relations at the Close of the Amarna Period and Some Notes on Hittite Military Strategy in North Syria’, Bulletin of the Egyptological Seminar 1 (1979), 55–89. A. Spalinger, War in Ancient Egypt: The New Kingdom (Malden, 2005). M. Van de Mieroop, A History of the Ancient Near East ca. 3000-323 BC (West Sussex, 2016). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In April 2021, Egyptologists working in Luxor announced a major discovery. A new “lost” city, associated with Amunhotep III (and probably Akhenaten as well). In this brief roundup, we discuss the details, the context, and the significance of the find. Date c.1350 BCE and 2021 CE. Music by Keith Zizza. Music by Ancient Lyric. Photo links: Site location by Vicky Jensen on Egyptology Forum (image). Eltayeb Abdallah Hassan on Facebook. Cairo Scene on Facebook. Vicky Jensen on Facebook. Olette Freriks on Facebook. Ahram Online. Video links: Dr. Mostafa Al-Waziry, Minister of Antiquities, reports on the site (Luxor Times, on Facebook). Walkthrough of the site, 19 mins (Luxor Times, on Facebook). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a reign of approximately eleven years, the Horus Men-Ma’at-Ra (Sety I) passed to the west. He died in reasonably good health, and studies of his mummy reveal a tall, physically robust individual. So, what killed him? We explore these questions, and the history of his Memorial Temple, where the King’s body lay in state ready for burial… Music by Bettina Joy de Guzman www.bettinajoydeguzman.com. Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net. Music by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com. Additional music “Sety’s Funeral” by Ihab Mahna https://www.instagram.com/imahna/. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Egypt on the offensive. King Tutankhamun's government had to deal with major threats in the north. Instability and regional warfare had spread through Syria and Canaan. To tackle these, pharaoh despatched his most prominent general. Horemheb, representative of the King, led the soldiers of Egypt into battle... Date c.1340 BCE Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Keith Zizza. Music by Ancient Lyric. Music by Jeffrey Goodman. Hear the trumpets of Tutankhamun on BBC Radio. Select Bibliography: Dodson, Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation (2nd edn, Cairo, 2017). Eaton-Krauss, The Unknown Tutankhamun (London, 2016). Gabolde, D’Akhenaton à Toutânkhamon (Paris, 1998). Gabolde, Toutankhamon (Les Grands Pharaons; Paris, 2015). R. Johnson, ‘Tutankhamun’s Life, Death, and Afterlife: New Evidence from Thebes’, November 6th, 2020. https://youtu.be/JuHCL88qpFw Kawai, ‘Studies in the Reign of Tutankhamun’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Johns Hopkins University (2005). T. Martin, The Memphite Tomb of Ḥoremḥeb, Commander-in-Chief of Tutʻankhamūn, 1 (London, 1989). T. Martin, The Hidden Tombs of Memphis: New Discoveries From the Time of Tutankhamun and Ramesses the Great (London, 1991). J. Murnane, Texts from the Amarna Period in Egypt (Atlanta, 1995). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Splendour and Ceremony. On April 3rd, 2021, Egypt hosted a magnificent celebration. Royal mummies, including Kings and Queens, departed their old home and made for a new one. In future, these rulers will reside in the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. Moving the royal mummies was a complex, grandiose event. I report on the parade, and the historical background of these famous mummies… Recordings of the parade on YouTube Musical performance by Amira Salim and Ahmed Mounib Cairo residents cheer the parade, by Rania Atef on Twitter Details of the performance by Heba Abd el Gawad on Twitter Photos at Ahram. Further details, links, images, and references at The History of Egypt Podcast website. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.   Select Bibliography: The Pharaohs’ Golden Parade: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities YouTube stream (Arabic). Experience Egypt YouTube stream (Arabic and English). Reuters YouTube stream (Arabic and English). Performance by Amira Selim with “violin” music by Ahmed Mounib. Twitter thread by Heba abd el Gawad. The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities on Facebook. Maspero, “Les Momies Royales de Déir el-Bahari,” Mémoires publiés par les membres de la mission archéologique française du Caire, vol. 1 (1889): 511–790. Available online. Reeves and R. H. Wilkinson, The Complete Valley of the Kings (London, 1996). Romer, Valley of the Kings (London, 1981). Thompson, Wonderful Things, A History of Egyptology, II: The Golden Age: 1881–1914 (Cairo, 2015). Wilson, “Finding Pharaoh,” The Century: Illustrated Monthly Magazine 34 (May 1887): 3–10. Winlock, “The Tomb of Queen Meryetamun: I The Discovery.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin33, no. 2 (1975): 77–89. Web Archive: Theban Tomb 320 (TT320) also known as Deir el-Bahari 320 (DB320) “The Cachette of the Royal Mummies” Available online. KV35 (Amunhotep II tomb) at pl. Video: Cairo residents cheer the parade on Twitter. Video: A trip to the Royal Cache (TT320 / DB320) on YouTube. Mummies: The mummies found in TT320 / DB320 at Wikimedia and The Theban Royal Mummy Project. The mummies found in KV35 (Amunhotep II) at Wikimedia and SLU. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A complicated career. In the reigns of Akhenaten and Tut'ankhamun, one of Egypt's top religious officials was Mery-Neith ("Beloved of Neith"). This man served in the temples, first as a Steward, then as the High Priest of Aten in Amarna. Along the way, Meryneith had to navigate the difficult political waters. To survive in Akhenaten's court, he even had to change his name... Date c.1360 – 1340 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Keith Zizza. Music by Ancient Lyric. See other shows from the Agora Podcast Network. Select Bibliography: The Tomb of Meryneith: Summary of excavations at Saqqara.nl High-quality photos by merja attia at Flickr N. Kawai, ‘Studies in the Reign of Tutankhamun’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Johns Hopkins University (2005). M. J. Raven and R. van Walsem, The Tomb of Meryneith at Saqqara (Turnhout, 2014). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm bringing ma'at back. One of Tutankhamun's famous projects is the Restoration, a country-wide program of repairs and gifts for major temples. After the excesses of Akhenaten, the boy king and his government invested massive amounts of resources. Their goal? Renew the temples, replenish the priesthood, and curry favour with both the gods and the elites of Egyptian society...   Date c.1341 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.com. Select Bibliography: J. Bennett, ‘The Restoration Inscription of Tut’ankhamūn’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 25 (1939), 8–15. JSTOR. A. Dodson, Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation (2nd Edition edn, Cairo, 2017). M. Eaton-Krauss, The Unknown Tutankhamun (London, 2016). N. Kawai, ‘Studies in the Reign of Tutankhamun’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Johns Hopkins University (2005). W.J. Murnane, Texts from the Amarna Period in Egypt (Atlanta, 1995). N. Reeves, The Complete Tutankhamun (Cairo, 1990). M. van Nederhof, “Restoration Stela of Tutankhamun,” Transliteration and translation online. M. Eaton-Krauss, The Unknown Tutankhamun (London, 2016). The Epigraphic Survey, Reliefs and Inscriptions at Luxor Temple – Volume I: The Festival Procession of Opet in the Colonnade Hall (Chicago, 1994). The Epigraphic Survey, Reliefs and Inscriptions at Luxor Temple – Volume II: The Facade, Portals, Upper Register Scenes, Columns, Marginalia, and Statuary in the Colonnade Hall (Chicago, 1998). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tut-Ankh-Amun. Early in his reign, the young pharaoh Tut-ankh-Aten changed his name to Tut-ankh-Amun. Why did he do this? What did it mean? And how much control did this young ruler have over his own identity? Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Keith Zizza https://www.keithzizza.net/. Music by Ancient Lyric http://www.bettinajoydeguzman.com/. Music by Jeffrey Goodman http://www.jeffreygoodmanmusic.com/. Sound Interludes by Luke Chaos https://twitter.com/Luke_Chaos. Audio mixing/editing by Vincent Cavanagh. Select Bibliography: The Amarna Project Website: with separate pages for background and excavations in 1921, 2002, 2003, 2004. Bronze plaques from the House of Ranefer at Wikimedia. Kemp, “Tell el-Amarna, 2004,” The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 90 (2004), 14–26. Kemp, The City of Akhenaten and Nefertiti: Amarna and Its People (London, 2014). J. Murnane, Texts from the Amarna Period in Egypt (Atlanta, 1995). E. Peet and C. L. Woolley, The City of Akhenaten, Volume I (London, 1923). Schulman, “Military Rank, Title, and Organization in the Egyptian New Kingdom,” Unpublished PhD. Thesis, University of Pennsylvania (1962). Spalinger, “Review of Robert Hari, Répertoire onomastique amarnien, 1976,” Journal of Near Eastern studies 39 (1980), 230–1. Tutankhamun Dodson, Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation (2nd Edition edn, Cairo, 2017). Eaton-Krauss, The Unknown Tutankhamun (London, 2016). Gabolde, D’Akhenaton à Toutânkhamon (Paris, 1998). Kawai, ‘Studies in the Reign of Tutankhamun’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Johns Hopkins University (2005). J. Leprohon, The Great Name: Ancient Egyptian Royal Titulary (Wilson, 2013). J. Murnane, Texts from the Amarna Period in Egypt (Atlanta, 1995). Reeves, The Complete Tutankhamun (Cairo, 1990). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A famous reign. Following the death of Nefer-neferu-aten, a new ruler came to the throne. Tut-ankh-Aten was young, perhaps nine years old. He inherited power at a tumultuous point in history... Date c. 1343 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Keith Zizza. Additional music by Jeffrey Goodman. Audio mixing/editing by Vincent Cavanagh. Written by Dominic Perry. Select Bibliography: A. Dodson, Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation (2nd Edition, Cairo, 2017). A. Dodson and D. Hilton, The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt (London, 2004). M. Eaton-Krauss, ‘King Tutankhaten’, Orientalia 80 (2011), 300–4. M. Eaton-Krauss, The Unknown Tutankhamun (London, 2016). M. Gabolde, D’Akhenaton à Toutânkhamon (Paris, 1998). N. Kawai, ‘Studies in the Reign of Tutankhamun’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Johns Hopkins University (2005). W. J. Murnane, Texts from the Amarna Period in Egypt (Atlanta, 1995). N. Reeves, The Complete Tutankhamun (Cairo, 1990). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does a mummy smell like? Prof. Ann Rosalie David is a pioneering researcher in mummies and ancient pathology. Having led many studies on Egyptian bodies, Prof. David helps reconstruct the lifestyles of the past. In this interview, she helpfully answers questions about ancient diseases, the Amarna royal mummies, and some left-field topics as well. Learn more about Ann Rosalie David and her work at Manchester University. Purchase "A Year in the Life of Ancient Egypt," by Rosalie David at Pen & Sword Publishing (Kindle, Hardcover, and ePub).  Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Ancient Lyric www.bettinajoydeguzman.com Sound effects by Keith Zizza keithzizza.com and Hathor Systrum. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Powerful, but vanished. Following the death of Akhenaten, several prominent women disappear from history. Meritaten, the King’s Eldest Daughter; Kiya, one of his wives; and two mysterious daughters, the “Tasherits” present unresolved questions. What happened to them? We explore this question… Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net. Select Bibliography: Nile Magazine: “The Maia-Meritaten Mystery,” Online. Allen, James P. “The Amarna Succession,” in P. Brand and L. Cooper (eds) Causing His Name to Live: Studies in Egyptian Epigraphy and History in Memory of William J. Murnane (2009): 9–20. Dodson, Aidan. Amarna Sunrise: Egypt From Golden Age to Age of Heresy (2014). Dodson, Aidan. Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation. 2nd Edition (2017). Gabolde, Marc. “Under a Deep Blue Starry Sky,” in P. Brand and L. Cooper (eds) Causing His Name to Live: Studies in Egyptian Epigraphy and History in Memory of William J. Murnane (2009): 109–120. Murnane, William J. Texts from the Amarna Period in Egypt (1995). Redford, Donald B. “Studies on Akhenaten at Thebes, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt12 (1975): 11. JSTOR. Zivie, Alain P. “From Maia to Meritaten,” Saqqara Newsletter 17 (2019). edu Zivie, Alain P. La tombe de Maïa, mère nourricière du roi Toutânkhamon et grande du harem (Bub. I 20). Les tombes du Bubasteion à Saqqara 1 (2009). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Hidden Monument? In recent years, the public has thrilled to reports that hidden chambers, in the tomb of Tutankhamun, might contain the burial of Nefertiti. But the question of Nefertiti's tomb is complicated. In fact, it's possible she never even received a kingly/royal burial. In this episode, we explore the results of many studies... Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.com Music by Ancient Lyric www.bettinajoydeguzman.com Audio mixing/editing by Vincent Cavanagh Select Bibliography: Nature: “Radar clues reignite debate over hidden chambers” https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00465-y Dodson, Aidan. Nefertiti: Queen and Pharaoh of Egypt, Her Life and Afterlife. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2020. Dodson, Aidan. Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation. 2nd Edition. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2017. Reeves, Nicholas. ‘The Tomb of Tutankhamun (KV62): Supplementary Notes (The Burial of Nefertiti? III).’ Amarna Royal Tombs Project, Valley of the Kings, Occasional Paper No. 5 (2020). Academia Reeves, Nicholas. “The Decorated North Wall in the Tomb of Tutankhamun (KV62) (The Burial of Nefertiti? II).’ Amarna Royal Tombs Project, Valley of the Kings, Occasional Paper No. 3 (2019). Academia Reeves, Nicholas. ‘The Burial of Nefertiti?’ Amarna Royal Tombs Project, Valley of the Kings, Occasional Paper No. 1 (2015). Academia Reeves, Nicholas. ‘The Gold Mask of Ankhkheperure Neferneferuaten’. Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections 7 (2015): 77–79. Reeves, Nicholas. ‘Tutankhamun’s Mask Reconsidered’. Bulletin of the Egyptological Seminar: The Art and Culture of Ancient Egypt: Studies in Honor of Dorothea Arnold 19 (2015): 511–26. Smith, Grafton Elliot. The Royal Mummies. London: Duckworth, 1912. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Short-Lived Reign. By 1344 BCE, Nefer-neferu-Aten (Nefertiti) was in her mid-thirties. She did not have long to live. In her third regnal year, the King of Egypt died. Her death is mysterious: was it natural, an accident, or murder? Studying Nefertiti's last years, and the mummy that might belong to her, we go in search of answers. How did Nefertiti die? Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.com. Music by Ancient Lyric www.bettinajoydeguzman.com. Music by Jeffrey Goodman www.jeffreygoodmanmusic.com Select Bibliography: Dodson, Aidan. Amarna Sunrise: Egypt From Golden Age to Age of Heresy. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2014. Dodson, Aidan. Nefertiti: Queen and Pharaoh of Egypt, Her Life and Afterlife. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2020. Dodson, Aidan. Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation. 2nd Edition. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2017. Hawass, Zahi, Yehia Z. Gad, Somaia Ismail, Rabab Khairat, Dina Fathalla, Naglaa Hasan, Amal Ahmed, et al. ‘Ancestry and Pathology in King Tutankhamun’s Family’. JAMA 303, no. 7 (17 February 2010): 638–47. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2010.121. Hawass, Zahi, and Sahar N. Saleem. Scanning the Pharaohs: CT Imaging in the New Kingdom Royal Mummies. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2016. Murnane, William J. Texts from the Amarna Period in Egypt. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1995. Paulshock, Bernadine Z. ‘Tutankhamun’s Mother’. JAMA 249, no. 16 (22 April 1983): 2178–2178. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.1983.03330400030014. Reeves, Nicholas. ‘The Tomb of Tutankhamun (KV62): Supplementary Notes (The Burial of Nefertiti? III).’ Amarna Royal Tombs Project, Valley of the Kings, Occasional Paper No. 5 (2020). Academia Reeves, Nicholas. “The Decorated North Wall in the Tomb of Tutankhamun (KV62) (The Burial of Nefertiti? II).’ Amarna Royal Tombs Project, Valley of the Kings, Occasional Paper No. 3 (2019). Academia Reeves, Nicholas. ‘The Burial of Nefertiti?’ Amarna Royal Tombs Project, Valley of the Kings, Occasional Paper No. 1 (2015). Academia Reeves, Nicholas. ‘The Gold Mask of Ankhkheperure Neferneferuaten’. Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections 7 (2015): 77–79. Reeves, Nicholas. ‘Tutankhamun’s Mask Reconsidered’. Bulletin of the Egyptological Seminar: The Art and Culture of Ancient Egypt: Studies in Honor of Dorothea Arnold 19 (2015): 511–26. Smith, Grafton Elliot. The Royal Mummies. London: Duckworth, 1912. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

News from the Field 2025, Part 1. In February 2025, the breaking news was the discovery of a royal tomb. An archaeological mission working in Luxor are confident they have located the grave of King Thutmose II. The tomb itself was discovered in late 2022, and the team announced it publicly in 2023. I reported on that initial find in the news roundup for that year. Now, another season has passed, and the team’s work has come to fruition... I am also joined by Dr. Chris Naunton, former Director of the Egypt Exploration Society, who was discussed the new find on his blog, and joins us to share some wider context and speculation. Music interludes by Keith Zizza and Luke Chaos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nefer-neferu-Aten. Following the death of Akhenaten, Queen Nefertiti may have become a King. Modern research suggests that, following her husband's death, Nefertiti became the new pharaoh. Her reign, and policies, are a shadowy but fascinating chapter in the royal history... Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.com Music by Ancient Lyric www.bettinajoydeguzman.com. Select Bibliography: Coregency Stela: UCL online Graffito of Pairy TT139: Semataui Dodson, Aidan. Amarna Sunrise: Egypt From Golden Age to Age of Heresy. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2014. Dodson, Aidan. Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation. 2nd Edition. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2017. Gabolde, Marc. ‘L’ADN de La Famille Royale Amarnienne et Les Sources Égyptiennes’. Égypte Nilotique et Méditerranéenne 6 (2013): 177–203. Gabolde, Marc. ‘Under a Deep Blue Starry Sky’. In Causing His Name to Live: Studies in Egyptian Epigraphy and History in Memory of William J. Murnane, edited by Peter J. Brand and Louise Cooper. Leiden: Brill, 2009. Hawass, Zahi, Yehia Z. Gad, Somaia Ismail, Rabab Khairat, Dina Fathalla, Naglaa Hasan, Amal Ahmed, et al. ‘Ancestry and Pathology in King Tutankhamun’s Family’. JAMA 303, no. 7 (17 February 2010): 638–47. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2010.121. Hawass, Zahi, and Sahar N. Saleem. Scanning the Pharaohs: CT Imaging in the New Kingdom Royal Mummies. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2016. Kemp, Barry J. The City of Akhenaten and Nefertiti: Amarna and Its People. First paperback edition. London: Thames & Hudson, 2014. Miller, William Max. ‘The Theban Royal Mummy Project’. The Theban Royal Mummy Project, n.d. http://anubis4_2000.tripod.com/mummypages1/18B.htm. Murnane, William J. Texts from the Amarna Period in Egypt. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1995. O’Neill, Megan C. “The Decorative Program of the Eighteenth-Dynasty Tomb of Pairy (TT 139).” MA Thesis, Georgia State University, 2015. https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/art_design_theses/173 Paulshock, Bernadine Z. ‘Tutankhamun’s Mother’. JAMA 249, no. 16 (22 April 1983): 2178–2178. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.1983.03330400030014. Redford, Donald. ‘Akhenaten: New Theories and Old Facts’. Bulletin of the American School of Oriental Research 369 (2013): 9. Reeves, Nicholas. ‘The Gold Mask of Ankhkheperure Neferneferuaten’. Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections 7 (2015): 77–79. Reeves, Nicholas. ‘Tutankhamun’s Mask Reconsidered’. Bulletin of the Egyptological Seminar: The Art and Culture of Ancient Egypt: Studies in Honor of Dorothea Arnold 19 (2015): 511–26. Tyldesley, Joyce. Nefertiti’s Face: The Creation of an Icon. London: Profile Books, 2018. Van Der Perre, Athena. ‘The Year 16 Graffito of Akhenaten in Dayr Abū Ḥinnis. A Contribution to the Study of the Later Years of Nefertiti’. Journal of Egyptian History 7, no. 1 (2014): 67–108. https://doi.org/10.1163/18741665-12340014. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recorded 2024. The daughters of Akhenaten and Nefertiti were not just "ornaments" for their parents. Like many princesses, they also participated in the religious rituals and royal pageantry of the Egyptian government. In this interview, Courtney Marx (MA, George Mason University) joins us on behalf of the American Research Center in Egypt, to discuss the Amarna princesses and their role as priestesses. We also explore the history of royal women as priestesses and the unique roles they played in the temple rituals. Finally, we explore the aftermath of Amarna: how the visible roles, titles, and imagery of princesses changed following the death of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. The American Research Center in Egypt is celebrating 75 years of work in the Nile Valley. Dedicated to scholarship of the ancient, medieval, and modern worlds, the ARCE supports researchers and students, funds archaeological and scholarly work, and organises many public outreach programs. Learn more about ARCE at their website and follow the ARCE Podcast online and on all podcasting apps. The History of Egypt Podcast Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.  Logo image: Block fragment showing two Amarna princesses (Metropolitan Museum of Art 1985.328.6). Photo by Courtney Marx. Select Bibliography (provided by Courtney Marx): Ayad, Mariam F. “The God's Wife of Amun: origins and rise to power.” In Carney, Elizabeth D. and Sabine Müller (eds), The Routledge companion to women and monarchy in the ancient Mediterranean world, 47-60. New York: Routledge, 2021. Ayad, Mariam F. God's Wife, God's Servant: The God's Wife of Amun (ca.740–525 BC). United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis, 2009. Bryan, Betsy M. “Property and the God’s Wives of Amun.” In D. Lyons and R. Westbrook, eds. Women and Property in Ancient Near Eastern and Mediterranean Societies. Washington, DC: Center For Hellenic Studies, Harvard University, 2005. Pawlicki, Franciszek. Princess Neferure in the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari: Failed Heiress to the Pharaoh’s Throne? Études et Travaux 21, 109-127. 2007. Xekalaki, Georgia. Symbolism in the Representation of Royal Children During the New Kingdom. Oxford: Archaeopress, 2011. Troy, Lana. “Patterns of Queenship in Ancient Egyptian Myth and History.” PhD diss., Uppsala University, 1986. Williamson, Jacquelyn. “Death and the Sun Temple: New Evidence for Private Mortuary Cults at Amarna.” The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 103, no. 1 (June 2017): 117–123.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the city of Akhet-Aten (Amarna) a small tomb hides a noteworthy story. Here, we find the life and work of a police officer. Mahu, Chief of the Medjay in Akhet-Aten, managed the guards who patrolled the Horizon of Aten. Mahu, and his troops, were responsible for guarding the outposts and apprehending fugitives. Possibly, they were also involved in criminal punishments. Some of those practices were quite cruel… Date c. 1357-1343 BCE Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.com Music by Bettina Joy de Guzman www.bettinajoydeguzman.com. Select Bibliography: Norman de Garis Davies, The Rock Tombs of El-Amarna, vol. IV, 1903. Aidan Dodson, Amarna Sunrise: Egypt From Golden Age to Age of Heresy, 2014. Barry J. Kemp, The City of Akhenaten and Nefertiti: Amarna and Its People, 2014. William J. Murnane, Texts from the Amarna Period in Egypt, 1995. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fatma Keshk is an Egyptologist, archaeologist and researcher in Egyptian heritage. She leads the outreach project "The Place and the People," working to strengthen ties between archaeologists and local Egyptian communities. It is my pleasure to welcome Fatma to the History of Egypt Podcast; I hope you enjoy the conversation. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Fatma Keshk at the Free University of Berlin https://exoriente.academia.edu/FatmaKeshk, The Place and the People online www.facebook.com/The-Place-and-the-People-2315808581791112, The Tale of Shutb (children's story in English) https://www.britishmuseum.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices