Did Two Daughters Of Akhenaten Rule Together Under One Name Before Tutankhamun?

Conny Waters - AncientPages.com - Egyptologists have long wondered who ruled ancient Egypt before pharaoh Tutankhamun ascended the throne.

Many theories have been put forward, but the ancient mystery has not been solved. Some scholars suggest Nefertiti, the sister and wife of pharaoh Akhenaten was in charge. It still remains unclear why she suddenly disappeared after being elevated to near-equal status by King Akhenaten?

There are also Egyptologists who propose Meritaten, Akhenaten’s  eldest daughter was in charge of the country.

Right: Meritanen, Princess of Akhenaton family. Credit: Public Domain, CC BY-SA 3.0 fr - Right: Neferneferuaten Tasherit on a wall painting in the King's house. Credit: Public Domain

According to a new and interesting theory put forward by Valerie Angenot, Egyptologist at Canada's Universite du Quebec a Montreal (UQAM), two of Akhenaten’s daughters ruled over Egypt together because their brother Tutankhamun, aged four or five at the time, was too young to rule.

Angenot came to this conclusion after analyzing ancient symbols and inscriptions that revealed the two daughters jointly ascended to the throne under a common name.

See also:

Ankhesenamun – Mysterious Death Of Tutankhamun’s Wife Ended The True Amarna Bloodline

Queen Nefertari – Favorite Wife Of Ramses II The Great And Her Lavishly Decorated Tomb In The Valley Of The Queens

Female Pharaoh Twosret Was Exploited, Used And Almost Erased From History

Sobekneferu: First Female Pharaoh In Ancient Egypt

According to Angenot, Akhenaten married Meritaten to prepare her to one day rule, but some inscriptions also indicate he was grooming another daughter Neferneferuaten Tasherit, for rule.

"Egyptology is a very conservative discipline, but my idea was surprisingly well received, except for two colleagues who fiercely opposed it," she said, adding she hoped it could advance knowledge on succession issues in Ancient Egypt and of the Amarna Period.

Written by Conny Waters – AncientPages.com Staff Writer