The intial Amarna Period

[Frater0082]

I have a theory that the intial beginning date of the Amarna Period began in the later years of Amenhotep III's reign during his last years. So its my assumption that we can combine a portion of Akhenaten's reign with his fathers.

[carrie]

Frater are you saying that Akenhaten and Amenhotep 111 ruled at the same time or what?

[Frater0082]

Frater are you saying that Akenhaten and Amenhotep 111 ruled at the same time or what?

Kind of sort of because this is the same period where Amenhotep III started to lean towards being an Atenist

[carrie]

Still don't understand are you saying that they were joint Pharohs, that they shared the kingship for a period of time.

[newcastle]

Frater are you saying that Akenhaten and Amenhotep 111 ruled at the same time or what?

Carrie : I can do no better than quote Aidan Dodson ("Amarna Sunset") :-

"The debate as to whether Amenhotep IV succeeded Amenhotep III after a period of co-rule or only on the latter's death has generated a vast literature. with the battle between the two camps ebbing and flowing over the decades on the basis of the equivocal nature of the . evidence. However, the weight of evidence currently seems to lie in favour of the view that Amenhotep IV's accession only followed his father's demise."

However.in the light of the recent discovery of the cartouches of both kings in the tomb of Vizier Amenhotep-Huy in Asasif, it appears the co-regency camp may have found its unequivocal evidence!

http://www.messagetoeagle.com/akhematen ... _T8H8WSx1g

Egyptologists are still arguing over the significance of this discovery, and work on the tomb continues. I doubt the "no co-regency" camp will concede for the time being

[newcastle]

I have a theory that the intial beginning date of the Amarna Period began in the later years of Amenhotep III's reign during his last years. So its my assumption that we can combine a portion of Akhenaten's reign with his fathers.

There is plenty of evidence of the rise of "Atenism" in the latter years of Amenhotep III's reign although this should not lead you to the "assumption" of a co-regency with his son, of which there's no unequivocal evidence.

However......a recent (2014) discovery in the tomb of Vizier Amenhotep-Huy has given a considerable boost to the co-regency camp.

http://www.messagetoeagle.com/akhematen ... _T8H8WSx1g:

[carrie]

Thank you Newcastle.

[Brian Yare]

Thank you Newcastle.

Without going into too much detail at this time of night there is plenty of evidence that there may have been a co-regency (overlap) between Amenhotep III and Amenhotep IV (a.k.a. Akhenaten) of maybe 8 or 9 years.

Without commenting further I offer http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/29044 as an interesting article.