Ahhotep I
Encyclopedia
Ahhotep I was an Ancient Egyptian queen who lived circa 1560
- 1530
BC, during the end of the Seventeenth dynasty of ancient Egypt
, she was the daughter of Queen Tetisheri
(known as Teti the Small) and Senakhtenre Tao I
, and was likely the sister, as well as the wife, of pharaoh Seqenenre Tao II. Ahhotep I had a long and influential life.
Her titles include Great Royal Wife
and "The associate of the White Crown brearer" (khnemet nefer hedjet). The title King's Mother (mwt niswt) was found on the Deir el Bahari coffin.
has changed during the years. Outlining the different naming and numbering conventions over the years:
Late nineteenth century: Ahhotep I was thought to be the wife of Seqenenre Tao II. The coffins of Deir el Bahari and Dra' Abu el-Naga'
were both thought to be hers by some experts. Ahhotep II was thought to be the wife of Amenhotep I
. Some thought the coffin from the Deir el Bahari cache belonged to the queen called Ahhotep II in this scheme.
Late 20th Century: In the 1970s it was commented on that the Deir el Bahari coffin bears the title King's Mother and Amenhotep I
has no son. The title must refer to the mother of Ahmose I
. In 1982 Robins suggests that Ahhotep I is the owner of the gilded coffin from Dra' Abu el-Naga'
, Ahhotep II is the queen mentioned on the Deir el Bahari coffin and Ahhotep III is the Queen mentioned on the statue of a prince Ahmose.
Present (21st century): Following Dodson and Hilton (2004) Ahhotep I is the wife of Seqenenre Tao II and mother of Ahmose I
. Ahhotep II
is the queen known from the gilded coffin found at Dra' Abu el-Naga'
and possibly a wife of Kamose
. (There is no Ahhotep III).
In this article the modern (21st century) interpretation has been used.
and Senakhtenre Tao I
. She was the royal wife of the seventeenth dynasty king Seqenenre Tao II
; he is believed to have been her brother.
Ahhotep was likely the mother of Pharaoh Ahmose I
. Her exact relation to Pharaoh Kamose
is not known, but he may have been her brother-in-law (brother of Tao II
) or her son. Other children of Queen Ahhotep I include the later Queen Ahmose-Nefertari
who was married to her brother Ahmose I
. There were also Prince Ahmose Sipair, Prince Binpu, Princess Ahmose-Henutemipet
, Princess Ahmose-Nebetta
, and Princess Ahmose-Tumerisy
.
states that Ahhotep I may have rallied the troops and played a role in defending Thebes. It is not known when these events took place. They may have occurred after the death of Tao II
or Kamose
.
Ahhotep is mentioned on the Kares stela (CG 34003) which dates to year 10 of Amenhotep I
, and her steward Iuf mentions her on his stela (CG 34009). Iuf refers to Ahhotep as the mother of King Ahmose I
, and would later be the steward of Queen Ahmose, the wife of Thutmose I
. This suggests Ahhotep I may have died at a fairly advanced age during the reign of Thutmose I
.
David Rohl argues that Ahhotep can be associated with the mythical Io. The glyph 'Ah' in her name is the same as Canaanite/Pelasgian moon goddess Io or Ya(h) (which may have become masculinised as Yahweh). The Aegean region was known to the ancient Egyptians as Yawan (Iaones) (written in Linear B Ia-wo-ne). Yawan is also given as among the Indo-European descendants of Japeth in Genesis. Her unique title hnwt idbw h3w-nbwt 'Mistress of the Shores beyond the Islands', the Egyptian term for lands bordering the Aegean Sea, also points to an Aegean connection.
Ahhotep I's outer coffin was eventually reburied in TT320 in Deir el Bahari. The coffin shows the queen with a tripartite wig and a modius. The body is covered in a rishi-design (feathers) and is similar to the outer coffins of Ahmose-Nefertari
and Ahmose-Meritamon
.
Ahhotep I's original tomb is not known, unless this queen is identical to Ahhotep II
. Measurements of the coffin found in Dra' Abu el-Naga' however show that it is too large to have belonged with the Deir el Bahari coffin. This has been used to argue that Ahhotep I cannot be identical to Ahhotep II
.
In this interpretation Kamose
married his sister Ahhotep II
and then were the parents of Ahmose I
, Ahmose-Nefertari
and Ahmose-Sitkamose
.
1560s BC
-Events and trends:* 1567 BC—Egypt: End of Fifteenth Dynasty, end of Sixteenth Dynasty, end of Seventeenth Dynasty, start of Eighteenth Dynasty.-Significant people:* Ahmose I, Pharaoh and founder of the 18th Dynasty of Egypt...
- 1530
1530s BC
-Events and trends:* 1539 BC—End of Seventeenth dynasty of Egypt, start of the Eighteenth Dynasty.* 1539 BC—Approximate first use of the Valley of the Kings.* 1534 BC—The oldest dated star chart was made in Ancient Egypt....
BC, during the end of the Seventeenth dynasty of ancient Egypt
Seventeenth dynasty of Egypt
The Fifteenth, Sixteenth and Seventeenth Dynasties of ancient Egypt are often combined under the group title, Second Intermediate Period. The Seventeenth Dynasty dates approximately from 1580 to 1550 BC.-Rulers:...
, she was the daughter of Queen Tetisheri
Tetisheri
Tetisheri was the matriarch of the Egyptian royal family of the late 17th Dynasty and early 18th Dynasty.-Family:Tetisheri was the daughter of Tjenna and Neferu. The names of Tetisheri's parents are known from mummy bandages found in TT320....
(known as Teti the Small) and Senakhtenre Tao I
Tao I the Elder
Senakhtenre Tao I was a Pharaoh of Egypt of the Seventeenth dynasty of Egypt based in Upper Egypt during the Second Intermediate Period. He was born c.1605 BC and died c.1560 or 1558 BC at the latest. His prenomen Senakhtenre means "Perpetuated like Re."...
, and was likely the sister, as well as the wife, of pharaoh Seqenenre Tao II. Ahhotep I had a long and influential life.
Her titles include Great Royal Wife
Great Royal Wife
Great Royal Wife or Chief King's Wife is the term used to refer to the chief wife of the pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. While most Ancient Egyptians were monogamous, the pharaoh would have had other, lesser wives and concubines in addition to the Great Royal Wife...
and "The associate of the White Crown brearer" (khnemet nefer hedjet). The title King's Mother (mwt niswt) was found on the Deir el Bahari coffin.
Different Ahhoteps
The naming / numbering of these queens named AhhotepAhhotep
* Ahhotep I, Ancient Egyptian queen who lived during the 17th dynasty* Ahhotep II, believed to have been the wife of ancient Egyptian pharaoh Kamose who reigned 1526–1506 BC...
has changed during the years. Outlining the different naming and numbering conventions over the years:
Late nineteenth century: Ahhotep I was thought to be the wife of Seqenenre Tao II. The coffins of Deir el Bahari and Dra' Abu el-Naga'
Dra' Abu el-Naga'
The necropolis of Dra' Abu el-Naga' is located on the West Bank of the Nile at Thebes, Egypt, just by the entrance of the dry bay that leads up to Deir el-Bahri, and north of the necropolis of el-Assasif....
were both thought to be hers by some experts. Ahhotep II was thought to be the wife of Amenhotep I
Amenhotep I
Amenhotep I was the second Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of Egypt. His reign is generally dated from 1526 to 1506 BC. He was born to Ahmose I and Ahmose-Nefertari, but had at least two elder brothers, Ahmose-ankh and Ahmose Sapair, and was not expected to inherit the throne...
. Some thought the coffin from the Deir el Bahari cache belonged to the queen called Ahhotep II in this scheme.
Late 20th Century: In the 1970s it was commented on that the Deir el Bahari coffin bears the title King's Mother and Amenhotep I
Amenhotep I
Amenhotep I was the second Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of Egypt. His reign is generally dated from 1526 to 1506 BC. He was born to Ahmose I and Ahmose-Nefertari, but had at least two elder brothers, Ahmose-ankh and Ahmose Sapair, and was not expected to inherit the throne...
has no son. The title must refer to the mother of Ahmose I
Ahmose I
Ahmose I was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the founder of the Eighteenth dynasty. He was a member of the Theban royal house, the son of pharaoh Tao II Seqenenre and brother of the last pharaoh of the Seventeenth dynasty, King Kamose...
. In 1982 Robins suggests that Ahhotep I is the owner of the gilded coffin from Dra' Abu el-Naga'
Dra' Abu el-Naga'
The necropolis of Dra' Abu el-Naga' is located on the West Bank of the Nile at Thebes, Egypt, just by the entrance of the dry bay that leads up to Deir el-Bahri, and north of the necropolis of el-Assasif....
, Ahhotep II is the queen mentioned on the Deir el Bahari coffin and Ahhotep III is the Queen mentioned on the statue of a prince Ahmose.
Present (21st century): Following Dodson and Hilton (2004) Ahhotep I is the wife of Seqenenre Tao II and mother of Ahmose I
Ahmose I
Ahmose I was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the founder of the Eighteenth dynasty. He was a member of the Theban royal house, the son of pharaoh Tao II Seqenenre and brother of the last pharaoh of the Seventeenth dynasty, King Kamose...
. Ahhotep II
Ahhotep II
Ahhotep II was an Ancient Egyptian queen, and likely the Great Royal Wife of Pharaoh Kamose.-Different Ahhoteps:The naming / numbering by Egyptologists of the queens named Ahhotep has changed during the years....
is the queen known from the gilded coffin found at Dra' Abu el-Naga'
Dra' Abu el-Naga'
The necropolis of Dra' Abu el-Naga' is located on the West Bank of the Nile at Thebes, Egypt, just by the entrance of the dry bay that leads up to Deir el-Bahri, and north of the necropolis of el-Assasif....
and possibly a wife of Kamose
Kamose
Kamose was the last king of the Theban Seventeenth Dynasty. He was probably the son of Seqenenre Tao II and Ahhotep I and the full brother of Ahmose I, founder of the Eighteenth Dynasty. His reign fell at the very end of the Second Intermediate Period...
. (There is no Ahhotep III).
In this article the modern (21st century) interpretation has been used.
Family
Ahhotep I was the daughter of queen TetisheriTetisheri
Tetisheri was the matriarch of the Egyptian royal family of the late 17th Dynasty and early 18th Dynasty.-Family:Tetisheri was the daughter of Tjenna and Neferu. The names of Tetisheri's parents are known from mummy bandages found in TT320....
and Senakhtenre Tao I
Tao I the Elder
Senakhtenre Tao I was a Pharaoh of Egypt of the Seventeenth dynasty of Egypt based in Upper Egypt during the Second Intermediate Period. He was born c.1605 BC and died c.1560 or 1558 BC at the latest. His prenomen Senakhtenre means "Perpetuated like Re."...
. She was the royal wife of the seventeenth dynasty king Seqenenre Tao II
Tao II the Brave
Seqenenre Tao II, , called The Brave, ruled over the last of the local kingdoms of the Theban region of Egypt in the Seventeenth Dynasty during the Second Intermediate Period. He probably was the son and successor to Senaktenre Tao I the Elder and Queen Tetisheri...
; he is believed to have been her brother.
Ahhotep was likely the mother of Pharaoh Ahmose I
Ahmose I
Ahmose I was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the founder of the Eighteenth dynasty. He was a member of the Theban royal house, the son of pharaoh Tao II Seqenenre and brother of the last pharaoh of the Seventeenth dynasty, King Kamose...
. Her exact relation to Pharaoh Kamose
Kamose
Kamose was the last king of the Theban Seventeenth Dynasty. He was probably the son of Seqenenre Tao II and Ahhotep I and the full brother of Ahmose I, founder of the Eighteenth Dynasty. His reign fell at the very end of the Second Intermediate Period...
is not known, but he may have been her brother-in-law (brother of Tao II
Tao II the Brave
Seqenenre Tao II, , called The Brave, ruled over the last of the local kingdoms of the Theban region of Egypt in the Seventeenth Dynasty during the Second Intermediate Period. He probably was the son and successor to Senaktenre Tao I the Elder and Queen Tetisheri...
) or her son. Other children of Queen Ahhotep I include the later Queen Ahmose-Nefertari
Ahmose-Nefertari
Ahmose-Nefertari of Ancient Egypt was a Queen of Egypt. She was a daughter of Seqenenre Tao II and Ahhotep I, and royal sister and the great royal wife of pharaoh, Ahmose I. She was the mother of king Amenhotep I and may have served as his regent when he was young...
who was married to her brother Ahmose I
Ahmose I
Ahmose I was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the founder of the Eighteenth dynasty. He was a member of the Theban royal house, the son of pharaoh Tao II Seqenenre and brother of the last pharaoh of the Seventeenth dynasty, King Kamose...
. There were also Prince Ahmose Sipair, Prince Binpu, Princess Ahmose-Henutemipet
Ahmose-Henutemipet
Ahmose-Henutemipet was a princess of the late seventeenth dynasty of Egypt. She was a daughter of Pharaoh Tao II the Brave and probably Queen Ahhotep I. She was the sister of Ahmose I. She bore the titles King's Daughter and King's Sister.- Mummy :...
, Princess Ahmose-Nebetta
Ahmose-Nebetta
Ahmose-Nebetta was a princess during the late seventeenth dynasty of Egypt. She was probably the daughter of Seqenenre Tao II and Queen Ahhotep I. She was the sister of Pharaoh Ahmose I.-Life:Ahmose-Nebetta was likely a daughter of Seqenenre Tao II...
, and Princess Ahmose-Tumerisy
Ahmose-Tumerisy
Ahmose-Tumerisy was a princess of the seventeenth dynasty of Egypt, probably a daughter of Tao II the Brave and a sister of Ahmose I. Her titles were: King's Daughter and King's Sister....
.
Life
A stela from the reign of Ahmose IAhmose I
Ahmose I was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the founder of the Eighteenth dynasty. He was a member of the Theban royal house, the son of pharaoh Tao II Seqenenre and brother of the last pharaoh of the Seventeenth dynasty, King Kamose...
states that Ahhotep I may have rallied the troops and played a role in defending Thebes. It is not known when these events took place. They may have occurred after the death of Tao II
Tao II the Brave
Seqenenre Tao II, , called The Brave, ruled over the last of the local kingdoms of the Theban region of Egypt in the Seventeenth Dynasty during the Second Intermediate Period. He probably was the son and successor to Senaktenre Tao I the Elder and Queen Tetisheri...
or Kamose
Kamose
Kamose was the last king of the Theban Seventeenth Dynasty. He was probably the son of Seqenenre Tao II and Ahhotep I and the full brother of Ahmose I, founder of the Eighteenth Dynasty. His reign fell at the very end of the Second Intermediate Period...
.
She is the one who has accomplished the rites and taken care of Egypt... She has looked after her soldiers, she has guarded her, she has brought back her fugitives and collected together her deserters, she has pacified Upper Egypt and expelled her rebels.
Ahhotep is mentioned on the Kares stela (CG 34003) which dates to year 10 of Amenhotep I
Amenhotep I
Amenhotep I was the second Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of Egypt. His reign is generally dated from 1526 to 1506 BC. He was born to Ahmose I and Ahmose-Nefertari, but had at least two elder brothers, Ahmose-ankh and Ahmose Sapair, and was not expected to inherit the throne...
, and her steward Iuf mentions her on his stela (CG 34009). Iuf refers to Ahhotep as the mother of King Ahmose I
Ahmose I
Ahmose I was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the founder of the Eighteenth dynasty. He was a member of the Theban royal house, the son of pharaoh Tao II Seqenenre and brother of the last pharaoh of the Seventeenth dynasty, King Kamose...
, and would later be the steward of Queen Ahmose, the wife of Thutmose I
Thutmose I
Thutmose I was the third Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of Egypt. He was given the throne after the death of the previous king Amenhotep I. During his reign, he campaigned deep into the Levant and Nubia, pushing the borders of Egypt further than ever before...
. This suggests Ahhotep I may have died at a fairly advanced age during the reign of Thutmose I
Thutmose I
Thutmose I was the third Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of Egypt. He was given the throne after the death of the previous king Amenhotep I. During his reign, he campaigned deep into the Levant and Nubia, pushing the borders of Egypt further than ever before...
.
David Rohl argues that Ahhotep can be associated with the mythical Io. The glyph 'Ah' in her name is the same as Canaanite/Pelasgian moon goddess Io or Ya(h) (which may have become masculinised as Yahweh). The Aegean region was known to the ancient Egyptians as Yawan (Iaones) (written in Linear B Ia-wo-ne). Yawan is also given as among the Indo-European descendants of Japeth in Genesis. Her unique title hnwt idbw h3w-nbwt 'Mistress of the Shores beyond the Islands', the Egyptian term for lands bordering the Aegean Sea, also points to an Aegean connection.
Tomb
Ahmose-Nefertari
Ahmose-Nefertari of Ancient Egypt was a Queen of Egypt. She was a daughter of Seqenenre Tao II and Ahhotep I, and royal sister and the great royal wife of pharaoh, Ahmose I. She was the mother of king Amenhotep I and may have served as his regent when he was young...
and Ahmose-Meritamon
Ahmose-Meritamon (17th dynasty)
Ahmose-Meritamon was a princess of the seventeenth dynasty of Egypt, probably a daughter of Tao II the Brave. She is also called Ahmose-Meritamun, Ahmose-Meryetamun or just Meryetamun....
.
Ahhotep I's original tomb is not known, unless this queen is identical to Ahhotep II
Ahhotep II
Ahhotep II was an Ancient Egyptian queen, and likely the Great Royal Wife of Pharaoh Kamose.-Different Ahhoteps:The naming / numbering by Egyptologists of the queens named Ahhotep has changed during the years....
. Measurements of the coffin found in Dra' Abu el-Naga' however show that it is too large to have belonged with the Deir el Bahari coffin. This has been used to argue that Ahhotep I cannot be identical to Ahhotep II
Ahhotep II
Ahhotep II was an Ancient Egyptian queen, and likely the Great Royal Wife of Pharaoh Kamose.-Different Ahhoteps:The naming / numbering by Egyptologists of the queens named Ahhotep has changed during the years....
.
Alternative Theory
An alternative interpretation has been developed by Ann Macy Roth. This suggests that Seqenenre Tao II had three queens:- Ahhotep I, who was the mother of a Prince Ahmose (not the future pharaoh) and several princesses named Ahmes.
- SitdjehutiSitdjehutiSitdjehuti called Satibu was a princess and queen of the late Seventeenth dynasty of Egypt. She was a daughter of Pharaoh Senakhtenre Tao I and Queen Tetisheri and wife to her brother Seqenenre Tao II...
, who was the mother of a princess named Ahmes. - TetisheriTetisheriTetisheri was the matriarch of the Egyptian royal family of the late 17th Dynasty and early 18th Dynasty.-Family:Tetisheri was the daughter of Tjenna and Neferu. The names of Tetisheri's parents are known from mummy bandages found in TT320....
, who was the mother of KamoseKamoseKamose was the last king of the Theban Seventeenth Dynasty. He was probably the son of Seqenenre Tao II and Ahhotep I and the full brother of Ahmose I, founder of the Eighteenth Dynasty. His reign fell at the very end of the Second Intermediate Period...
, Ahhotep IIAhhotep IIAhhotep II was an Ancient Egyptian queen, and likely the Great Royal Wife of Pharaoh Kamose.-Different Ahhoteps:The naming / numbering by Egyptologists of the queens named Ahhotep has changed during the years....
and Ahmose-HenuttamehuAhmose-HenuttamehuAhmose-Henuttamehu was a princess and queen of the late 17th-early 18th dynasties of Egypt.-Family:Ahmose-Henuttamehu was a daughter of Pharaoh Seqenenre Tao II by his sister-wife Ahmose Inhapy...
.
In this interpretation Kamose
Kamose
Kamose was the last king of the Theban Seventeenth Dynasty. He was probably the son of Seqenenre Tao II and Ahhotep I and the full brother of Ahmose I, founder of the Eighteenth Dynasty. His reign fell at the very end of the Second Intermediate Period...
married his sister Ahhotep II
Ahhotep II
Ahhotep II was an Ancient Egyptian queen, and likely the Great Royal Wife of Pharaoh Kamose.-Different Ahhoteps:The naming / numbering by Egyptologists of the queens named Ahhotep has changed during the years....
and then were the parents of Ahmose I
Ahmose I
Ahmose I was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the founder of the Eighteenth dynasty. He was a member of the Theban royal house, the son of pharaoh Tao II Seqenenre and brother of the last pharaoh of the Seventeenth dynasty, King Kamose...
, Ahmose-Nefertari
Ahmose-Nefertari
Ahmose-Nefertari of Ancient Egypt was a Queen of Egypt. She was a daughter of Seqenenre Tao II and Ahhotep I, and royal sister and the great royal wife of pharaoh, Ahmose I. She was the mother of king Amenhotep I and may have served as his regent when he was young...
and Ahmose-Sitkamose
Ahmose-Sitkamose
Ahmose-Sitkamose or Sitkamose was a princess and queen during the late 17th-early 18th dynasties of Egypt. Based on her name, she is likely to have been the daughter of Pharaoh Kamose...
.