Amenhotep I: How the King Helped Shape the Civilization of Ancient Egypt
Amenhotep I was the principal pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty whose exploits helped to push the frontiers of Egypt into Nubia.
He got as far as the Second Cataract of the Nile and set Egypt’s borders on the island between the Second and Third Cataracts. One of his notable achievements was building the Village of Artisans.
Continue reading to discover the rich history of Amenhotep I and some of his legacies.
Who Was Amenhotep I?
Amenhotep I was a pharaoh who ascended the throne after the death of Ahmose I and ruled from 1525 -1504 BC. His mother was the Great Royal Wife of the 18th Dynasty, Ahmose-Nefertari.
Amenhotep was an ambitious king who desired to conquer the surrounding nations and add them to his kingdom. His influence on culture, arts and technology helped to shape ancient Egyptian civilization.
The Family of Amenhotep I
Amenhotep’s wife was Ahmose-Meritamun, who doubled as the Great Royal Wife and elder sister of the Pharaoh. The Great Royal Wife was a position of honor in ancient Egypt and had official functions.
Pharaoh Amenhotep had two older brothers, Ahmose Sapair and Ahmose-ankh, who were next in the line of succession to the throne of their father, Ahmose. However, the older brothers died in their youth, paving the way for the young Amenhotep to sit on the throne.
According to historians, King Amenhotep may have been too young to ascend the throne, so his mother reigned for a short while until he was ready. The reason for this was because Amenhotep and his mother were credited for the founding of Deir el-Medina, a settlement for laborers. The rest of the family relations of Amenhotep I are unclear.
Unclear Relations
For example, though some sources state that the Pharaoh took Ahhotep II as his wife, others say that she was his grandmother. Some scholars believe Amenemhat was the son of Amenhotep and Ahhotep while others argue that he did not have any children.
His alleged son, Amenemhat, died in his youth, allowing Amenhotep to be succeeded by his sister’s husband, Thutmose I. The sister of Amenhotep was never referred to in any existing document as the “King’s daughter,” leading other scholars to doubt the sibling relationship between them.
Years of Reign
Though many scholars believe Amenhotep reigned for 10 years, others seem to disagree. Egyptian priest and writer Manetho thinks Amenhotep I either reigned for 20 years and 7 months or 21 years.
Manetho’s statement was backed by an autobiography of the magician Amenhment, who stated that he performed for Amenhotep for 20 years.
Also, the exact dates of his rule are a subject of controversy. Some scholars place his regnal years from 1546 – 1526 or 1526 – 1506 BC. Though Amenhotep’s regnal years are in doubt, one sure thing was his foreign ambition. Like the Pharaohs before him, Amenhotep wanted to expand the frontiers of his kingdom.
Foreign Ambition
King Amenhotep harbored a desire to conquer the nations surrounding Egypt. He made this known in his titles which were “Bull who conquers the land” and “He who inspires great terror.” His goals were to reclaim lost territory and to expand his kingdom.
Amenhotep Invades Nubia
Records from a discovered tomb showed that the Pharaoh led some campaigns into Nubia. One of the tomb texts indicated that he waged war against the Nubians in the south and won. Another tomb text also revealed that he led a campaign in the land of Kush. However, some scholars believe both tomb texts may be referring to the same campaign.
Records from Amenhotep’s temple on the Island of Sai also indicated that he expanded his territories to the Third Cataract of the Nile. His campaigns also led him to a land called Kehek.
Amenhotep Leads a Campaign to the Land of Kehek
According to the tomb text of an Egyptian official, Ahmose Pen-Nekhebet, Amenhotep led an invasion into the region of Kehek. For a long time, scholars believed the people of Kehek to be the same as the Qeheqs of Nubian origin, so they postulated a theory that Keheks invaded the western Nile Delta after the death of King Ahmose I. With this in mind, Amenhotep might have invaded the Keheks to reclaim lost land.
Later, it was discovered that the people of Kehek were not the same as the Qeheqs. The location of Kehek is still unknown, but some Egyptologists believe it may have been in Nubia.
Others also believe that Kehek was in the western desert and the oases. The reason some scholars chose the oases and western desert was that Egypt lost these lands during the conflicts with the Hyksos. With these facts in mind, it made sense that Amenhotep attacked the Keheks, who may have been living there, to reclaim the lands.
Theories
However, remember that these are all just theories and no one knows the exact location of the land of Kehek. The exact dates the oases and the western desert were reclaimed by the Egyptians are also unknown. A stele mentioned Amenhotep as the Prince Governor of the Oases so it is possible the lands were reclaimed during his reign.
Did Amenhotep Invade Syro-Palestine?
No one knows. The answer to the question is that of uncertainty because no existing records in Syro-Palestine mention Amenhotep’s invasion. However, according to inscriptions on an ancient Egyptian rock, Tombos Stela, Thutmose I led a campaign into Syro-Palestine.
During the campaign, he encountered no resistance which indicated that Amenhotep the first may have embarked on an Asiatic campaign. Amenhotep’s invasion of Syro-Palestine probably paved the way for Thutmose’s campaign.
One of the tombs suspected to be that of Amenhotep I contained a text that referenced Qedmi, a city in Canaan. Also, Amenemhet’s tomb texts referenced Mitanni, a state in Syria. However, note that these references to regions in Syro-Palestine do not necessarily denote a campaign by Amenhotep.
Also, Amenemhet served under several Pharaohs so the reference to Mitanni may just relate to any of the kings he served. The truth is that records of the reign of Amenhotep I are few and far between, so it is difficult to ascertain a Syro-Palestine campaign with certainty.
Achievements
Amenhotep I accomplishments touched almost every aspect of ancient Egyptian society. From the cultural to the intellectual, Amenhotep’s ingenuity was felt. His reign saw the invention of the ancient water clock and the founding of the laborer’s village at Deir el-Medina. Aside from those, here are a few other achievements of Amenhotep I.
Literary Achievements
The famous Egyptian Book of the Dead was known to have been completed during the reign of Amenhotep. The Egyptian Book of the Dead was an ancient Egyptian funerary text that was central to their funeral rites. The text was inscribed in the tombs of only Pharaohs and noblemen. It was first used in burying Amenhotep’s successor, which meant that Amenhotep oversaw its final processes.
The ancient record of Egyptian herbal medicines, known as the Ebers Papyrus, was written during the reign of Amenhotep. This document served as the main source of information for ancient Egyptians’ herbs and medical practices. It had about 110 pages and featured about 700 magical incantations which were designed to drive away demons that cause diseases.
The book also covered the treatment of mental disorders such as depression and dementia. It taught how to avoid pregnancy and how to treat skin and eye diseases. Other important topics covered in the book included dentistry, bone-setting and how to surgically remove tumors. Some of the treatment in the book falls in line with modern medical practices.
The Invention of the Water Clock
The clepsydra, also known as the water clock, was first invented during the rulership of Amenhotep I. The device used water to tell time using two methods: the inflow method and the outflow method.
The water clock had two containers, with one marked and the other unmarked. In the outflow method, the water clock marked time by draining water from the marked vessel into the unmarked vessel.
All the ancient Egyptians had to do was to observe the markings on the vessel from which the water was being drained to tell the time. The inflow method also used a similar operation. However, instead of water flowing from the marked container, it instead flowed into the marked container. Thus, the observers could tell the time by simply looking at the water level in the marked container.
It could even be adjusted to tell the time during the shorter nights of the summer. The inventor of the water clock was Amenhotep’s astronomer called Amenemheb.
The water clock was a breakthrough invention that helped the ancient Egyptians accurately keep time. Amenhotep’s brilliance extended beyond overseeing the invention of water clocks into building projects.
Building Projects
Amenhotep was famous for building several structures which were destroyed by later Pharaohs. These buildings were important temples and a mortuary complex. Amenhotep I also expanded other existing temples and religious sites.
The Expansion of the Karnak Temple Complex
According to an inscription found in the tomb of Ineni, Amenhotep gave his blessing for the expansion of the Temple of Karnak. Ineni was a famous architect who served brilliantly under the reign of several Pharaohs. Amenhotep I commissioned Ineni to build a limestone gate on the south side of the temple complex. He also built a barque chapel for Amun, the primeval Egyptian deity, which was made of alabaster.
The King also had several structures erected at the Karnak Temple Complex to celebrate his Sed festival. The Sed festival was a celebration of a pharaoh’s 30-year reign and renewal of his kingship. Unfortunately, Amenhotep I died before his Sed festival, so he couldn’t use the newly constructed facilities.
Other Temples
The Pharaoh built other temples outside the Karnak, including one on the island of Sai. Other notable religious structures in Upper Egypt included temples at Abydos and the town of Kom Ombo. All of Amenhotep’s buildings were located in Upper Egypt, with none built in Lower Egypt.
Mortuary Complex
As mentioned earlier, Pharaoh Amenhotep I constructed a mortuary complex and detached it from his tomb. Before their reign, Pharaohs had their tombs attached to their mortuaries which served as temples.
The priests in the temple prepared the king’s body for burial and the proximity to the mortuary made it easier to transport the sarcophagus for burial. Scholars believe that the reason Amenhotep detached the temple from the tomb was to prevent looting.
The tomb of Amenhotep is at Deir el-Bahri on the West Bank of the Nile and is close to that of his queen, Ahmose-Meritamon. Queen Hatshepsut ordered the destruction of Amenhotep’s temple so she could build a terrace to her mortuary temple.
The only surviving testament to Amenhotep’s mortuary temple is a pile of bricks with his name inscribed on them. Luckily, before the destruction of the temple, the Egyptians moved the statues in Amenhotep’s temple to the temple of Mentuhotep II.
The Village of Artisans
To facilitate the work of artisans working on royal tombs, Amenhotep and his mother built a settlement solely for them. Initially, the settlement was referred to as “Set Maat” which meant “The Place of Truth.” There were laborers from all over Egypt and beyond who were skilled in stone cutting, plastering, sculpting and painting.
The artisans from Deir el-Medina were responsible for the artwork in the necropolis of Thebes. They were middle-income earners whose salaries were paid by the state. The village made it easy to organize artisans to work on a project. It also facilitated the completion of a project since all the artisans were in one place.
Death of Amenhotep I
Amenhotep I passed away in 1504 BC, but his exact age remains a mystery. As already mentioned, he probably had one child who died young. Others also believe he bore no children.
Thutmose, who was a senior military official, succeeded Amenhotep as King Thutmose I. After Amenhotep’s death, he was made the patron god of the Village of Artisans.
He became a popular deity and many celebrations were organized in his name throughout the year. He had a large funerary cult dedicated to worshiping and honoring his name.
The Location of the Tomb of Amenhotep
Though the temple of Amenhotep has been identified, no one knows the location of his tomb. Remember that he detached the mortuary temple from the tomb, so while the remains of the temple are in Deir el-Bahari, the tomb is yet to be located. During the reign of Pharaoh Rameses IX, there was an inspection of the royal tombs at the Theban necropolis.
According to the report, the tomb of Amenhotep was in good shape. However, the report failed to state exactly where the tomb could be found.
Archaeologists have marked some locations as possible tombs of Amenhotep. These include Tomb ANB, which contains the names of Amenhotep and members of his royal family.
The Mummy of Amenhotep
During the 21st Dynasty, Amenhotep’s mummy was moved by the priests of the temple to keep it safe. Later, the mummy was found among a pile of mummies and was transported to the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities in Cairo.
So far, the mummy of Amenhotep is yet to be unwrapped to examine the sarcophagus. One reason is that the ancient Egyptians buried Amenhotep with a beautiful face mask and scholars may want to preserve its sanctity.
The face mask was part of the cartonnage with which the ancient Egyptians buried their Pharaohs. Cartonnage was a covering made of papyrus and plaster used in wrapping the dead. Due to Amenhotep’s beautiful and well-preserved cartonnage, his mummy remains the only one to never have been unwrapped. To determine his age, modern Egyptologists had to use an x-ray machine.
Age of Death
The results of the x-ray suggested that Amenhotep was between 40 and 50 years old when he died. In 1967, scholars performed another x-ray and determined that Amenhotep was instead around 25 years old when he died. This age is further supported by the fact that his teeth were found in good condition.
The mummy was moved from the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in 2021.
Summary
In this article, we’ve studied the life and legacy of King Amenhotep I. Here is a recap of what we have read:
Amenhotep was a King that ruled Egypt during the 18th Dynasty, from 1525 – 1504.
His father was King Ahmose I, his mother was Ahmose-Nefertari and his wife was Ahmose-Meritamun.
During his reign, he desired to and embarked on campaigns to reclaim lands and expand his kingdom.
He also got involved in many projects that helped cement the civilization of ancient Egypt.
Some of the projects he launched included The Village of Artisans, finalizing the Egyptian Book of the Dead, and publishing the Ebers Papyrus.
Amenhotep was noted for detaching his mortuary temple from his tomb and building some notable temples in Upper Egypt.
Amenhotep died in 1504 and was succeeded by King Thutmose I since he had no children to take up the throne.
His mummy is the only royal one to have not been touched due to its exquisite Cartonnage.
Amenhotep’s legacies have greatly helped modern Egyptologists to study and understand ancient Egyptian life.
