Ahhotep II
Encyclopedia
Ahhotep II was an Ancient Egypt
ian queen, and likely the Great Royal Wife
of Pharaoh
Kamose
.
has changed during the years.
During the late nineteenth century, Egyptologists thought that Ahhotep I was the wife of Seqenenre Tao II. The coffins of Deir el Bahari and Dra' Abu el-Naga'
were both thought by some experts to be hers. Also, Ahhotep II was thought to be the wife of Amenhotep I
as the coffin from the Deir el Bahari cache was considered to belong to a queen called Ahhotep II.
During the 1970s it was noted that the Deir el Bahari coffin bears the title King's Mother yet Amenhotep I
had no son. Therefore, the title must refer to the mother of Ahmose I
. In 1982 Robins suggested that Ahhotep I was the occupant of the gilded coffin from Dra' Abu el-Naga'
. Ahhotep II is the queen mentioned on the Deir el Bahari coffin and Ahhotep III is the Queen mentioned on the statue of a prince Ahmose.
Following Dodson and Hilton (2004), it is now considered that Ahhotep I
was the wife of Seqenenre Tao II and the mother of Ahmose I
. Ahhotep II is now regarded as the queen identified from the gilded coffin found at Dra' Abu el-Naga'
and, therefore, possibly a wife of Kamose
. (It is no longer considered that there was a queen called Ahhotep III.
This interpretation by Dodson and Hilton has been used in this article.
and possibly the mother of Queen Ahmose-Sitkamose
. It is possible that Ahhotep II is identical to a queen known as Ahhotep I
. If so, she may have been married to Tao II instead.
The title of King's Mother is only found on the coffin from Deir el Bahari and not on the funerary equipment from Dra' Abu el-Naga'
. It could be argued that Ahhotep II was a royal wife but never the mother of a pharaoh, and hence not the same person as Ahhotep I
.
Ahhotep II was buried in Dra' Abu el-Naga'
and rediscovered in 1858 by workmen employed by Auguste Mariette
. The tomb contained her mummy (destroyed in 1859) and gold and silver jewelry. An inscribed ceremonial axe head made of copper, gold, electrum and wood was decorated with a Minoan style griffin. Three golden flies were included and were awards usually given to people who served and acquitted themselves well in the army. A couple of items bore the name of Kamose
, but more were inscribed with the name of Ahmose I
.
The Dra' Abu el-Naga'
coffin and the items associated with it all have inscriptions using an early form of the Iah
glyph. The representation of the hieroglyph changed between years 18 and 22 of Ahmose I
. The use of the early form of Iah
suggests that Queen Ahhotep II died sometime before year 20 of Ahmose I
. This suggests that this queen is not Ahhotep, mother of Ahmose, because that queen appears on a stela dated to Amenhotep I
and possibly survived into the reign of Thutmose I
.
Kamose
married his sister Ahhotep II and were then the parents of Ahmose I
, Ahmose-Nefertari
and Ahmose-Sitkamose
.
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
ian queen, and likely the Great Royal Wife
Great Royal Wife
Great Royal Wife or Chief King's Wife is the term used to refer to the chief wife of the pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. While most Ancient Egyptians were monogamous, the pharaoh would have had other, lesser wives and concubines in addition to the Great Royal Wife...
of Pharaoh
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
Kamose
Kamose
Kamose was the last king of the Theban Seventeenth Dynasty. He was probably the son of Seqenenre Tao II and Ahhotep I and the full brother of Ahmose I, founder of the Eighteenth Dynasty. His reign fell at the very end of the Second Intermediate Period...
.
Different Ahhoteps
The naming / numbering by Egyptologists of the queens named AhhotepAhhotep
* Ahhotep I, Ancient Egyptian queen who lived during the 17th dynasty* Ahhotep II, believed to have been the wife of ancient Egyptian pharaoh Kamose who reigned 1526–1506 BC...
has changed during the years.
During the late nineteenth century, Egyptologists thought that Ahhotep I was the wife of Seqenenre Tao II. The coffins of Deir el Bahari and Dra' Abu el-Naga'
Dra' Abu el-Naga'
The necropolis of Dra' Abu el-Naga' is located on the West Bank of the Nile at Thebes, Egypt, just by the entrance of the dry bay that leads up to Deir el-Bahri, and north of the necropolis of el-Assasif....
were both thought by some experts to be hers. Also, Ahhotep II was thought to be the wife of Amenhotep I
Amenhotep I
Amenhotep I was the second Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of Egypt. His reign is generally dated from 1526 to 1506 BC. He was born to Ahmose I and Ahmose-Nefertari, but had at least two elder brothers, Ahmose-ankh and Ahmose Sapair, and was not expected to inherit the throne...
as the coffin from the Deir el Bahari cache was considered to belong to a queen called Ahhotep II.
During the 1970s it was noted that the Deir el Bahari coffin bears the title King's Mother yet Amenhotep I
Amenhotep I
Amenhotep I was the second Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of Egypt. His reign is generally dated from 1526 to 1506 BC. He was born to Ahmose I and Ahmose-Nefertari, but had at least two elder brothers, Ahmose-ankh and Ahmose Sapair, and was not expected to inherit the throne...
had no son. Therefore, the title must refer to the mother of Ahmose I
Ahmose I
Ahmose I was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the founder of the Eighteenth dynasty. He was a member of the Theban royal house, the son of pharaoh Tao II Seqenenre and brother of the last pharaoh of the Seventeenth dynasty, King Kamose...
. In 1982 Robins suggested that Ahhotep I was the occupant of the gilded coffin from Dra' Abu el-Naga'
Dra' Abu el-Naga'
The necropolis of Dra' Abu el-Naga' is located on the West Bank of the Nile at Thebes, Egypt, just by the entrance of the dry bay that leads up to Deir el-Bahri, and north of the necropolis of el-Assasif....
. Ahhotep II is the queen mentioned on the Deir el Bahari coffin and Ahhotep III is the Queen mentioned on the statue of a prince Ahmose.
Following Dodson and Hilton (2004), it is now considered that Ahhotep I
Ahhotep I
Ahhotep I , was an Ancient Egyptian queen who lived circa 1560- 1530 BC, during the end of the Seventeenth dynasty of ancient Egypt, she was the daughter of Queen Tetisheri and Senakhtenre Tao I, and was likely the sister, as well as the wife, of pharaoh Seqenenre Tao...
was the wife of Seqenenre Tao II and the mother of Ahmose I
Ahmose I
Ahmose I was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the founder of the Eighteenth dynasty. He was a member of the Theban royal house, the son of pharaoh Tao II Seqenenre and brother of the last pharaoh of the Seventeenth dynasty, King Kamose...
. Ahhotep II is now regarded as the queen identified from the gilded coffin found at Dra' Abu el-Naga'
Dra' Abu el-Naga'
The necropolis of Dra' Abu el-Naga' is located on the West Bank of the Nile at Thebes, Egypt, just by the entrance of the dry bay that leads up to Deir el-Bahri, and north of the necropolis of el-Assasif....
and, therefore, possibly a wife of Kamose
Kamose
Kamose was the last king of the Theban Seventeenth Dynasty. He was probably the son of Seqenenre Tao II and Ahhotep I and the full brother of Ahmose I, founder of the Eighteenth Dynasty. His reign fell at the very end of the Second Intermediate Period...
. (It is no longer considered that there was a queen called Ahhotep III.
This interpretation by Dodson and Hilton has been used in this article.
Family
Ahhotep II is thought to be the wife of KamoseKamose
Kamose was the last king of the Theban Seventeenth Dynasty. He was probably the son of Seqenenre Tao II and Ahhotep I and the full brother of Ahmose I, founder of the Eighteenth Dynasty. His reign fell at the very end of the Second Intermediate Period...
and possibly the mother of Queen Ahmose-Sitkamose
Ahmose-Sitkamose
Ahmose-Sitkamose or Sitkamose was a princess and queen during the late 17th-early 18th dynasties of Egypt. Based on her name, she is likely to have been the daughter of Pharaoh Kamose...
. It is possible that Ahhotep II is identical to a queen known as Ahhotep I
Ahhotep I
Ahhotep I , was an Ancient Egyptian queen who lived circa 1560- 1530 BC, during the end of the Seventeenth dynasty of ancient Egypt, she was the daughter of Queen Tetisheri and Senakhtenre Tao I, and was likely the sister, as well as the wife, of pharaoh Seqenenre Tao...
. If so, she may have been married to Tao II instead.
The title of King's Mother is only found on the coffin from Deir el Bahari and not on the funerary equipment from Dra' Abu el-Naga'
Dra' Abu el-Naga'
The necropolis of Dra' Abu el-Naga' is located on the West Bank of the Nile at Thebes, Egypt, just by the entrance of the dry bay that leads up to Deir el-Bahri, and north of the necropolis of el-Assasif....
. It could be argued that Ahhotep II was a royal wife but never the mother of a pharaoh, and hence not the same person as Ahhotep I
Ahhotep I
Ahhotep I , was an Ancient Egyptian queen who lived circa 1560- 1530 BC, during the end of the Seventeenth dynasty of ancient Egypt, she was the daughter of Queen Tetisheri and Senakhtenre Tao I, and was likely the sister, as well as the wife, of pharaoh Seqenenre Tao...
.
Burial
Dra' Abu el-Naga'
The necropolis of Dra' Abu el-Naga' is located on the West Bank of the Nile at Thebes, Egypt, just by the entrance of the dry bay that leads up to Deir el-Bahri, and north of the necropolis of el-Assasif....
and rediscovered in 1858 by workmen employed by Auguste Mariette
Auguste Mariette
François Auguste Ferdinand Mariette was a French scholar, archaeologist and Egyptologist, the designer of the rebuilt Egyptian Museum under Maximilian of Austria orders when the later had gained control of the artifacts collected to that point.-Early career:Born at Boulogne-sur-Mer, Mariette...
. The tomb contained her mummy (destroyed in 1859) and gold and silver jewelry. An inscribed ceremonial axe head made of copper, gold, electrum and wood was decorated with a Minoan style griffin. Three golden flies were included and were awards usually given to people who served and acquitted themselves well in the army. A couple of items bore the name of Kamose
Kamose
Kamose was the last king of the Theban Seventeenth Dynasty. He was probably the son of Seqenenre Tao II and Ahhotep I and the full brother of Ahmose I, founder of the Eighteenth Dynasty. His reign fell at the very end of the Second Intermediate Period...
, but more were inscribed with the name of Ahmose I
Ahmose I
Ahmose I was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the founder of the Eighteenth dynasty. He was a member of the Theban royal house, the son of pharaoh Tao II Seqenenre and brother of the last pharaoh of the Seventeenth dynasty, King Kamose...
.
The Dra' Abu el-Naga'
Dra' Abu el-Naga'
The necropolis of Dra' Abu el-Naga' is located on the West Bank of the Nile at Thebes, Egypt, just by the entrance of the dry bay that leads up to Deir el-Bahri, and north of the necropolis of el-Assasif....
coffin and the items associated with it all have inscriptions using an early form of the Iah
Iah
Iah is a very early god of the moon in ancient Egyptian religion, and his name, jˁḥ , simply means "moon." Nevertheless, by the New Kingdom he was less prominent as a moon deity than the other gods with lunar connections, Thoth and Khonsu...
glyph. The representation of the hieroglyph changed between years 18 and 22 of Ahmose I
Ahmose I
Ahmose I was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the founder of the Eighteenth dynasty. He was a member of the Theban royal house, the son of pharaoh Tao II Seqenenre and brother of the last pharaoh of the Seventeenth dynasty, King Kamose...
. The use of the early form of Iah
Iah
Iah is a very early god of the moon in ancient Egyptian religion, and his name, jˁḥ , simply means "moon." Nevertheless, by the New Kingdom he was less prominent as a moon deity than the other gods with lunar connections, Thoth and Khonsu...
suggests that Queen Ahhotep II died sometime before year 20 of Ahmose I
Ahmose I
Ahmose I was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the founder of the Eighteenth dynasty. He was a member of the Theban royal house, the son of pharaoh Tao II Seqenenre and brother of the last pharaoh of the Seventeenth dynasty, King Kamose...
. This suggests that this queen is not Ahhotep, mother of Ahmose, because that queen appears on a stela dated to Amenhotep I
Amenhotep I
Amenhotep I was the second Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of Egypt. His reign is generally dated from 1526 to 1506 BC. He was born to Ahmose I and Ahmose-Nefertari, but had at least two elder brothers, Ahmose-ankh and Ahmose Sapair, and was not expected to inherit the throne...
and possibly survived into the reign of Thutmose I
Thutmose I
Thutmose I was the third Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of Egypt. He was given the throne after the death of the previous king Amenhotep I. During his reign, he campaigned deep into the Levant and Nubia, pushing the borders of Egypt further than ever before...
.
Alternative Theory
An alternative interpretation has been developed by Ann Macy Roth. In this interpretation, the pharaoh Seqenenre Tao II had three queen consorts:- Ahhotep IAhhotep IAhhotep I , was an Ancient Egyptian queen who lived circa 1560- 1530 BC, during the end of the Seventeenth dynasty of ancient Egypt, she was the daughter of Queen Tetisheri and Senakhtenre Tao I, and was likely the sister, as well as the wife, of pharaoh Seqenenre Tao...
, who was the mother of a Prince Ahmose (not the future pharaoh) and several princesses named Ahmes. - SitdjehutiSitdjehutiSitdjehuti called Satibu was a princess and queen of the late Seventeenth dynasty of Egypt. She was a daughter of Pharaoh Senakhtenre Tao I and Queen Tetisheri and wife to her brother Seqenenre Tao II...
, who was the mother of a princess named Ahmes. - TetisheriTetisheriTetisheri was the matriarch of the Egyptian royal family of the late 17th Dynasty and early 18th Dynasty.-Family:Tetisheri was the daughter of Tjenna and Neferu. The names of Tetisheri's parents are known from mummy bandages found in TT320....
, who was the mother of KamoseKamoseKamose was the last king of the Theban Seventeenth Dynasty. He was probably the son of Seqenenre Tao II and Ahhotep I and the full brother of Ahmose I, founder of the Eighteenth Dynasty. His reign fell at the very end of the Second Intermediate Period...
, Ahhotep II and Ahmose-HenuttamehuAhmose-HenuttamehuAhmose-Henuttamehu was a princess and queen of the late 17th-early 18th dynasties of Egypt.-Family:Ahmose-Henuttamehu was a daughter of Pharaoh Seqenenre Tao II by his sister-wife Ahmose Inhapy...
.
Kamose
Kamose
Kamose was the last king of the Theban Seventeenth Dynasty. He was probably the son of Seqenenre Tao II and Ahhotep I and the full brother of Ahmose I, founder of the Eighteenth Dynasty. His reign fell at the very end of the Second Intermediate Period...
married his sister Ahhotep II and were then the parents of Ahmose I
Ahmose I
Ahmose I was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the founder of the Eighteenth dynasty. He was a member of the Theban royal house, the son of pharaoh Tao II Seqenenre and brother of the last pharaoh of the Seventeenth dynasty, King Kamose...
, Ahmose-Nefertari
Ahmose-Nefertari
Ahmose-Nefertari of Ancient Egypt was a Queen of Egypt. She was a daughter of Seqenenre Tao II and Ahhotep I, and royal sister and the great royal wife of pharaoh, Ahmose I. She was the mother of king Amenhotep I and may have served as his regent when he was young...
and Ahmose-Sitkamose
Ahmose-Sitkamose
Ahmose-Sitkamose or Sitkamose was a princess and queen during the late 17th-early 18th dynasties of Egypt. Based on her name, she is likely to have been the daughter of Pharaoh Kamose...
.