Sunday, March 8, 2009

Tutankhamen's Father Identified?

The Supreme Council for Antiquities in Egypt has relocated a stone block that was published many years ago by Gunther Roeder. This block has an inscription with the names of Ankhesenpaaten and Tutankhaten carved on it. Both names are not in cartouches and have the titles "King's daughter of his body" and "King's son of his body" respectively. Some have leapt to the conclusion that this indicates that both Tutankaten and his bride had the same father. Since we know that Ankesenpaaten's father was definately Akehenaten, this would make Tutankaten's father Akhenaten as well. Or would it?

Frankly, I am sceptical. It is possible that the block was carved to commemorate the couple's marriage. If so, there is no reason to conclude that their names occuring together shows that they had the same father. I do suspect that Akhenaten was Tutankaten's father, but this block does not prove it in my opinion.

On another topic, I will be away for much of the next three weeks, so my posts will be sporadic at best. Once I get back to normal, I will resume my posts on adoption in Mesopotamia.

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