The Seventeenth Dynasty (Part 7)

If the war for independence was not begun under Sekenenre, then it certainly began during the reign of Sekenenre’s successor, Wadjkheperre Kamose. There is only one regnal year known for this reign (year three) but there is some sentiment that he ruled longer (Vandersleyn, C., Les Guerres D’Amosis (Brussels: Fondation Egyptologique Reine Elisabeth, p. 1971), p. 27).

There seems to have been some experimentation with royal names during the reign of Kamose. On the Carnarvon Tablet his Horus name is Kh’hrnstf, on a fan from the treasure of Queen Aahotep it is Sedjtowi, while on a bark stand at Karnak it is Khabtowi (Habachi, Labib, Second Stela of Kamose (Gluckstadt: Varlag J. J. Augustin, 1972), p. 58). There is also some experimentation with his “Son of Re” name. An Axe-head in England gives “Kamose” as his “Son of Re” name, while an Axe-head in the British Museum gives Pa-heken instead (Winlock, Tombs, p. 264). On a foundation plaque, which is now in University College (London), the “Son of Re” name is given as Pa-Hek-‘a (Winlock, Tombs, p. 264). The significance of these name changes is unknown. Similar changes occur in the names of Ahmose (Kamose’s successor) and Tuthmose I (Ahmose’s grandson), ad then the custom disappears (Winlock, Tombs, pp. 264 – 5).

Other objects from the reign of Kamose include some scarabs, and the objects found buried with the King’s mummy (Habachi, p. 58). The inspectors of Ramesses IX reported that they found Kamose’s tomb untouched, but it must have been rifled afterwards as the necropolis officials took the mummy and the coffin that contained it and buried it in the ground at Dra-abu-Naga, near where Aahotep (the mother of Kamose) and two of the Intefs had been similarly interred (Winlock, Tombs, p. 259). A visit of Prince Napoleon (a cousin of Napoleon III) led to the discovery of Kamose’s burial. It seems that the Egyptian Khedive Said requested that French archaeologist Mariette facilitate the visit of Prince Napoleon by discovering objects along the path of the Prince’s tour, re-burying the objects, and then “discovering” them when Napoleon was actually present (Winlock, Tombs, pp. 259 – 60). Kamose’s rishi coffin contained a scarab, some amulets, a bronze mirror, a dagger and a cartouche flanked by golden lions and bearing the name of Ahmose (who buried his older brother), as well as a mummy which crumbled to dust when the coffin was opened (Winlock, Tombs, pp. 260 – 1).