What does peace and prosperity cause in ancient Egypt?
- Only one documented military event in year 5 in Nubia
- Stability in leadership. Amenhotep III was an accomplished administrator
- A network of excellent regional representatives throughout Egypt and beyond its borders to the East and South
- Egypt as a source of wheat and gold in the ancient Near East caused this economic boom
- Materials and manpower not needed for military reasons
- An excess of people and natural resources for building and decoration campaigns
- Stability in government as well as in the workshops created to build and decorate ancient Egypt
Amenhotep III was a master diplomat, while during his reign, everyone benefited from peace and political stability
A reminder: why is ancient Egypt known for its architectural accomplishments and artefacts?
- An ability to observe nature
- Old Kingdom tomb detail from the Louvre demonstrated attention to detail
- Monumental Architecture
So, why does Amenhotep III stand out from other ancient Egyptian kings and pharaohs?
And, if he was so consequential, why is he not more famous or well-known to the general public?
What was happening in the middle of the New Kingdom in Egypt?
An intensive expansion of the solarizing element of ancient Egyptian religion.
When, where and how does this solarization manifest itself?
Solarization was not an innovation of Dynasty 18.
The sphinx is the monumental guardian of the Giza necropolis, embodying divine power and solar worship as a manifestation of the sun god, specifically, Horus of the Horizon.
During the reign of Amenhotep III, the solarizing element of ancient Egyptian religion takes on a new focus and manifestation. Amun Re’ remains a primary deity, but the Aten, the Sun Disk, becomes a major god in the Egyptian pantheon.
How do we see these changes in the art and architecture of this period?
Sun Courts of the Theban Era
Almost every major temple site in ancient Egypt had a sun court constructed sometime before year 30 of Amenhotep III’s reign in preparation for his Jubilee or Heb Sed celebration.
The Sun Court of Amenhotep III at Luxor Temple, Luxor
A new feature of temple construction dating from this reign.
Found in numerous other temples dating to Amenhotep III.
Clear emphasis on the role and impact of the sun.
Temple of Amenhotep III at Soleb, Sudan - At Soleb, sometime near year 30 of his reign, he comes to be a deified sun god, as a “Dazzling Sun”.
Year 30, marks the first jubilee celebration of his reign. With this event, there was a massive push to decorate temples. Thus, the explanation for more than 1000 statues of this king.
After the death of Amenhotep III
His son and successor becomes pharaoh with the name Amenhotep IV. At once, the solarizing element of Egyptian religion, having become one of several, key elements of the religion, goes into overdrive. Amenhotep IV will change his name to Ankhenaten, “the Living Sun Disk”. He undertakes a building campaign to build new temples quickly to
incorporate this new form of the religion, starting in Thebes. His changes are not appreciated in Thebes, and he will move the capital to Amarna.
And yet…
Even though there is a change in kings, royal workshops do not. There is a continuity in the workshop: organisation, teams, training. We still see elements of some Amenhotep III details that linger into the reigns of Amenhotep IV/Ankhenaten and then Tutankhamun. But… the answer to the question posed at the beginning of this talk: why is Amenhotep III not as well known as his son or (likely) grandson?
The answer:
The Amarna Period 1352-1336 BCE
Images from Wikimedia Commons Creative Commons Zero, Public Domain Dedication and Creative Commons CC0 License;
