Skeletonized mummy of KV55 (Akhenaten?)

Skull from the skeletonized mummy of KV55, believed by some to be that of king Akhenaten, whereas others propose it may be the mysterious king Smenkhkare. The skeleton was found in a vandalised coffin, with a vulture pectoral upon him. Recent C.T. scan analysis of the skeletal remains, put the age range of these bones between 35-45 years of age. At least 10 years older than what the anatomist Grafton Elliot Smith theorized in 1908.

This age range leads many modern scholars to believe the remains most likely belong to Akhenaten, however, this is a controversial notion to set in stone and Egyptologists do not all agree, and think the bones require more testing. Despite this, genetic testing did reveal that this skeletal mummy is the son of Amenhotep III & Queen Tiye and close-knit relation, or father of Tutankhamun. And as science progresses, things will hopefully become clearer.

Circumstantial evidence to suggest this is the skeleton of king Akhenaten is also taken into consideration. Naturally, the destructed coffin face could be one clue, as upon the death of the king, his imagery and namesake was destroyed, as his new capital city purposely crumbled to be forgotten by time.

But other evidence, and perhaps lesser known evidences, are the four magical bricks beside the coffin, two of that which are inscribed with Akhenaten’s nomen; “the Osiris Neferkheprure Waenre”, and the gold band separating the lower torso from the upper torso, with the hacked-out cartouche (king’s name); “The perfect ruler, symbol of the sun, king of Upper and Lower Egypt, living in truth, Lord of the Two Lands [missing cartouche]. The perfect little one of the living Aten, who shall be alive continually forever, correct in the sky and on earth.”.

Under the feet of the coffin, also read an Atenist prayer for the deceased, with the cartouche, once more hacked out; “Recitation by [missing cartouche], justified.

May I breathe the sweet air that comes from your mouth. May I see your beauty daily. My wish is that I hear your sweet voice of the north wind, that my body may grow young with life for love of you. May you give me your arms with your life-force, that I may receive it and live. May you call on my name continually, without it having be sought [in your mouth] …”.

Akhenaten in History

Pharaoh Akhenaten (reign. 1353–1336 B.C. or 1351–1334 B.C.) is renowned among historians for rejecting the conventional Ancient Egyptian religious tradition of multiple gods and implementing Atenism, a devotion centred souly on the deity Aten (the sun disc).

Often referred to as the first monotheist in history, Egyptologists actually differ among themselves on whether Akhenaten’s religious policy was strictly monotheistic, but the notion sticks, and undeniably comparasions have been made between Akhenaten’s “Hymn to the Aten” and Pslam 104.

Early Egyptologists also speculated whether Akhenaten was a pacifist, mainly due to the contents of the Amarna Letters (tablets of diplomatic correspondence between Egypt and other nations), which presents the reader with an idea that Akhenaten was neglecting foreign policy and had become engulfed by his religious revolution almost to an extreme, with an Assyrian king accusing Akhenaten of bizzare behaviours; with the Assyrian king writing to Akhenaten;

“Why are my messengers kept in the open sun? They will die in the open sun. If it does the king good to stand in the open sun, then let the king stand there and die in the open sun.”

How Akhenaten died is not known, however, upon his death his religious and cultural experiment came to an end, and with the annointing of Tutankhamun as king, the reinstating of the traditional religious pantheon meant Atenism was over.

Damnatio memoriae befell on Akhenaten and his Amarna age, with images and statues and even his name being chisselled out of stonework. He was kept from King’s Lists and his capital city was destroyed with it’s brickwork usurped.

Akhenaten was all but forgotten until 1887 when a woman stumbled across 300 cuneiform tablets in Tel el-Amarna, the location of Akhenaten’s experimental capital city “Akhet-Aten”.

It was then when Sir Flinders Petries excavations at the site, breathed new life and world-wide interested into the Amarna age, and the rest is history.