Author Description

Ancient Egypt’s Amarna Period only lasted some 17 years, between about 1353 and 1336 BCE. It’s brand new capital city, called Akhetaten (the Horizon of the Aten), was abandoned after only about a dozen years. Due to its desert location, it remained relatively unoccupied right into the modern era. The site is now called Amarna, named after a much later Bedouin tribe that settled here. Archaeological excavations in the 19th and 20th centuries exposed forgotten temples, palaces, buildings, tombs, and cemeteries. It’s through those investigations that much has been learned about the city and the life of its inhabitants. It is a unique place, for no other ancient Egyptian site has provided the snapshot in time that is found at Amarna. Much has been written about the king, Akhenaten, who is often called “the Heretic Pharaoh”, and his famous wife, the beautiful Nefertiti. However little has been said about the members of Amarna’s Royal Court. Perhaps this is because most of the scenes in their tombs highlight the king and queen, rather than the scenes and text descriptions of daily life which are usually depicted in New Kingdom tombs. If, however, information which is scattered across various sources is brought together, a vibrant image emerges of a busy city, inhabited by an intriguing cast of characters that ran the nation of Egypt during Akhenaten’s reign. This is their story. The story of the important men and women who served at Akhenaten’s Royal Court.