Amenhotep  I  Temple  Site  –  Deir  el-­‐Medina  Amenhotep  Burial  Site?  

 Amenhotep  "Amun  is  Pleased"  –  Amenhotpe  -­‐  Amenophis  by  the  Greeks  –  Throne  name  Djeser-­‐ka-­‐re,  or  "Holy  is  the  Soul  of  Re".  Horus  name  Ka-­‐Waf-­‐Taw  "Bull  who  conquers  the  Land".    

2nd  King  (Pharaoh)  of  18th  Dynasty.  Ruled  for  almost  21  years.  Reign  Approx.  1526  to  1506.  

Son  of  Ahmose  I  &  Ahmose  Nefertari.  Brothers  –  Ahmose-­‐Ankh  &  Ahmose  Sapair.  

Succeeded  by  Tuthmosis  I.    

 Amenhotep  I  Temple  –  Deir  el-­‐Medina    

 

The  temple  stands  on  a  terrace  above  and  to  the  right  of  the  Ptolemaic  temple  at  its  North  corner  at  the  Workmans  village.  The  temple  was  originally  small  and  was  added  to  later.  The  villagers  dedicated  this  temple  to  Amenhotep  and  Ahmose  Nefertari  his  mother,  who  

were  both  deified.  Parts  still  remain  of   the  temple  along  with  the  remains  of   the  nearby  Hathor  Chapel  of   Seti   I.   Excavations  and   reconstruction  work  on  many  of   the  walls   and  steps   have   been   lovingly   and   carefully   restored   so   that   future   visitors   can   get   an  impression  of  its  once  layout.  What  there  is  to  see  at  this  site  is  worth  visiting.  

 

 

Amenhotep  was  deified  upon  his  death  and  made  the  patron  deity  of  the  village,  which  he  opened  at  Deir  el-­‐Medina.  Amenhotep  and  his  mother  were  especially  worshipped  here  and  were  revered  for  almost  five  hundred  years  as  local  deities.    

   

     

The  temple  consisted  of  an  outer  and  inner   hall,   Pronaos   and   Shrine.   Two  steps   led   into   the   Pronaos,   which  were  decorated  with  a  wall-­‐surround  of   red,   white   and   black   horizontal  bands.  

 

His  chief  architect,  Ineni,  mentions  that  he  commissioned  building  work  at  Karnak.  

Amenhotep   I’s   father   Ahmose   I,   expelled   the   Hyksos   kings   from   Egypt.   It   is   likely   that  Amenhotep  I  ascended  to  the  throne  as  a  child  where  his  mother  Ahmose  Nefertari  was  regent.   Nothing   remains   of   the   royal   couple,   to   which   the   temple   was   dedicated,  Numerous   statues  were   found   at   the   site   by  Drovetti,   Schiaparelli,   Bruyère   and  Baraize  and   a   few   events   can   be   seen   from   inscriptions   in   private   tombs.   Amenhotep   I   led   a  campaign  to  Kush.  An  inscription  in  the  tomb  of  Ahmose  Pen-­‐Nekhbet  states  that  the  king  also  led  an  expedition  to  Libya.    

Peret;   the   third  month   in   ancient  Egypt,  was  devoted   to   and  named  after  Amenhotep   I,  where   several   rituals   showing   his   death,   burial   and   resurrection   took   place   at   Deir   el-­‐Medina.  He  became  a  fairly  major  deity  with  a  number  of  festivals  throughout  the  year.  

Most   houses   during   the   Ramesside   period   contained   in   one   of   their   rooms,   a   scene  honouring   the   two.   They  were   usually   depicted  with   black   or   blue   skin,   the   colours   of  resurrection.  

Amenhotep  I  Temple  Site  –  Qurna?  

 

Apparently  there  was  another  Amenhotep  I   temple  site  at  what   is  now  known  as  Qurna  and  is  shown  on  several  maps.  There  appears  to  be  nothing  at  all  left  of  it  and  probably  it  lies  under  either  the  modern  alabaster  factories  or  houses.  I  have  searched  most  all  of  the  open   areas   looking   for   it   but   have   found  nothing,   not   even   a   stone  block  or  mud  brick.  Winlock   gives   a   rough   idea   of  where   it   is   on   a  map.   I   have   drawn   a   line   of  where   it   is  indicated  to  be  -­‐  Halfway  between  Seti  I  Temple  and  Hatshepsut’s  Causeway.  

 

Burial  Site:  

KV39   in   the  Kings  Valley,  K93.11  &  AN  B  at  Dra  Abu  el-­‐Naga  and  possible  Cliff  Tomb  at  Deir  el-­‐Bahari  are  all  possible  candidates  at  present,  although  neither  has  been  formally  identified  as  his  tomb.  

The  site  and  location  of  Amenhotep  I  tomb  has  been  the  subject  of  much  discussion  within  the  world  of  Egyptology  since  the  late  19th  century.  It’s  location  still  remains  uncertain  to  this  day.  The  search  to  identify  the  tomb  of  Amenhotep  I  continues.  

Prof.   Andrzej   Niwinski,   the   leader   of   a   Polish   expedition,   believes   the   tomb   remains  undiscovered  in  the  cliffs  of  Deir  el  Bahari  above  the  Mortuary  Temple  of  Hatshepsut.  

 

KV39  Kings  Valley  

 

Location:    

On  the  footpath  from  Deir  el-­‐Medina  to  the  Kings  Valley,  you  arrive  at  the  Tomb  Workers  Way  Camp  (Village  De  Repos).  With  the  Kings  Valley  being  ahead  and  to  the  north  of  the  village,  there  is  a  path  that  leads  to  the  left,  KV38  is  immediately  below  plateau  and  this  path.  All  that  remains  is  a  hole,  the  entrance  to  the  tomb.  

Tomb  KV39  is  the  most  formerly  quoted  for  being  the  original  tomb  of  Amenhotep  I.  It  has  been   described   as   one   of   the  most  mystifying   tombs   in   the  Kings   Valley;   it  may   be   the  oldest  cut  tomb  in  the  Kings  Valley.  Victor  Loret  in  1899  or  Macarios  and  Andraos  in  1900  may  have  discovered  KV39.  Wigall  visited   the   tomb   in  1908  and  described   it  as  being  a  ruin.    

Rose   found   a   huge   amount   of   objects   both   inside   and   outside   of   the   tomb.  Most   of   the  finds  are  still  awaiting  examination.  There  are  on  sandstone   in  blue  paint,  cartouches  of  Tuthmosis   I,   Tuthmosis   II?   And   Amenhotep   II.   There   were   pottery   finds   from   the   18th  Dynasty.  Rose  worked  on  this  tomb  for  five  years  and  believes  that  KV39  was  Amenhotep  I’s  tomb.  

However,   the   fact   that  KV39   is   so  close   to   the  Workers  Way  Camp,  where   relationships  between   tomb  workers   and   tomb   robbers  would  have  been  made,  makes   it   an  unlikely  candidate  for  being  a  safe  tomb  and  being  the  original  location  of  Amenhotep  I’s  tomb.  

 

K93.11  Dra  Abu  el-­‐Naga  

Daniel  Polz  had  proposed  that  Amenhotep  I  may  have  had  his  tomb  at  Dra  Abu  el-­‐Naga  in  Tomb  K93.11.  

K93.11  &  K93.12  are  two  large  and  similar  undecorated  tombs  that  lie  side  by  side,  while  K94.01  is  north  east  of  the  previous  two.  

Daniel  Polz  states  that  they  are  of  the  17th  to  18th  Dynasty  and  as  follows.  

K94.01  –  Kamose,  last  king  of  the  17th  Dynasty.  

K93.11  –  Amenhotep  I,  second  king  of  the  18th  Dynasty.  

K93.12  –  Ahmose  -­‐  Nefertari,  great  royal  wife  of  king  Ahmose  and  mother  of  Amenhotep  I.  

It   is  possible   that  K93.11  and  K93.12  were  built  as  a  double   tomb   for  Amenhotep   I  and  Ahmose  Nefertari  his  mother.      

No   one   really   knows  who  was   actually   buried   in  K93.11.  Many   people   think   it  was   the  final  resting  place  of  Amenhotep  I.  Only  in  time  will  we  hopefully  discover  the  facts.  

Amenhotep’s  tomb  was  mentioned  in  the  “Abbott  Papyrus”  in  the  British  Museum.  It  dates  from   around   1100BC,   about   400   years   after   the   death   of   Amenhotep   I.   It   describes   an  investigation  into  the  looting  of  royal  tombs  and  the  inspection  of  the  royal  tombs  under  Ramesses   IX   states   “Amenhotep   I’s   tomb  was   found   to   be   intact”   but   priests   moved   his  mummy  to  a  cache  in  the  cliffs  of  Deir  el-­‐Bahari.  –  DB320.  

TT320  (DB320)  Deir  el-­‐Bahari  

 

Emile   Brugsch   discovered   TT320   (Tomb   of   Royal   Mummies)   on   The   6th   July   1881.   It  contained  37  New  Kingdom  Kings,  Nobles  and  other  anonymous  mummies.  Some  of  them  were   the   greatest   pharaohs   of   the   17th,   18th,   19th   and   20th   Dynasties   –   Tuthmosis   II,  Amenhotep   I,   Seti   I   and   Ramses   II.   It   is   likely   that   the   infamous   Rasaul   brothers   first  discovered  the  tomb  earlier.    

The  mummy  of  Amenhotep  I  had  been  recovered  from  a  reused  sarcophagus,  deposited  in  the  21st  dynasty  by  the  priests  of  Amon.  The  mummy  is  the  only  royal  remains  on  which  was  inscribed  "Jt  n  Kmt",  "(the)  father  of  Egypt".  The  mummy  still  remains  unwrapped  to  this  day  and  is  in  the  Cairo  museum  wearing  a  wooden  mask  covering  his  face  decorated  with  a  uraeus  and  wig.    Brugsch   wrote,   “Soon   we   came   upon   cases   of   porcelain   funerary   offerings,   metal   and  alabaster  vessels,  draperies  and  trinkets,  until,  reaching  the  turn  in  the  passage,  a  cluster  of  mummy  cases  came  into  view  in  such  number  as  to  stagger  me.    

The  funerary  building  of  Amenophis  I  –  Deir  el-­‐Bahari    

 

                           

                                                                                                                                                                                                       

AN  B  -­‐  Dra  Abu  el-­‐Naga  

Tomb   AN   B   is   a   most   credible   candidate   for   Amenhotep   I’s   tomb.   Its   location   is   on   a  plateau  near  to  the  top  of  a  slope  350  metres  NNW  of  K93.11.  It  most  certainly  was  a  royal  tomb  from  the  early  18th  Dynasty.    Carter,  who  excavated  the  tomb,  stated  that  it  belonged  to  Amenhotep  I.  Others  disagree.  

Remnants  of  funerary  equipment  have  been  dated  to  the  end  of  the  17th  dynasty  and  the  beginning  of  the  18th  dynasty.  A  wrapped  mummy  of  a  child  was  labelled  Amenemhat,  son  of  Amenhotep   I.   Finds   also   included   a   bust   of   a  woman,  who  may  be  Ahmose-­‐Nefertari  and   pieces   of   stone   vessels   with   inscriptions   of   Ahmose   I,   Ahmose   Nefertari   and  Amenhotep  I  on  them.  

In   another   tomb   were   fragments   with   the   name   of   Ahmose   Tumerishy;   daughter   of  Amenhotep  I.  Tomb  AN  B  belonged  either  to  a  king  (Amenhotep  I)  or  a  great  royal  wife  (Ahmose-­‐Nefertari)  

Gurnawis  discovered  the  tomb  around  1907.  At  this  time,  items  started  to  appear  on  the  international   antiques   markets   showing   the   names   of   Amenhotep   I   and   his   mother  Ahmose  Nefertari.   It  was   soon   realized   that   possibly,   the  missing   tomb  of  Amenhotep   I  had  been  found.  Carter  was  soon  on  its  trail.  

Several   items   were   found   in   the   tomb   that   showed   it   had   been   used   more   than   once.  There  were  remains  of  several  wooden  coffins  from  the  22nd  Dynasty.  

     

 

Very   little   is   known   of   this   building  where   the   name   and   function   of   it  remains  uncertain.  The  construction  lies   on   the   site   chosen   by   Queen  Hatshepsut   to   build   her   funerary  temple.   The   architect   Senenmut  reused  some  of  the  blocks.

 

Cliff  Tomb?  –  Deir  el-­‐Bahari    

 

Mission  Rock    –  Prof.  Andrews  Niwinski  –  Leader  of  a  Polish  team.  

The  mission  was   to   protect   the   temple   of   Hatshepsut   from   falling   rocks   from   the   cliffs  above.     During   their   work   at   the   cliff   face   in   2014,   they   found   that   they   might   have  discovered   a   tomb   of   a   Pharaoh!   It   is   supposed   that   the   famous   architect   Ineni   in   the  sixteenth  century.  BC  has  created  a  vision  of  placing   it   right   there,  under   the  "roof",   the  royal  tomb  of  Pharaoh  Amenhotep  I.    This  possible  tomb  would  have  been  built  after  the  catastrophic  rainstorm  that  destroyed  the  existing  necropolis  of   the  kings  of   the  17th  Dynasty  at  Dra  Abu  el-­‐Naga.  Recognizing  the  need  to  build  royal  tombs  much  higher  and  with  drainage  designs  to  take  rainwater  away  from  the  tombs  to  keep  them  safe.  

Prof.   Andrzej   Niwinski,   the   leader   of   the   Polish   expedition,   believes   the   tomb   remains  undiscovered  in  the  cliffs  of  Deir  el  Bahari  above  the  Mortuary  Temple  of  Hatshepsut.  

It  has  been  500  years  since  "the  Abbott  Commission  "  wrote  her  inspection  report  during  the   reign   of   Ramses   IX   (last   quarter   of   the   twelfth   century   BC)   and   confirmed   that   the  tomb  of  Amenhotep  I  was  intact.    

   

   When  I  asked  the  Egyptologist  whose  tomb  he  thought  it  was,  he  said,  “We  think  we  know  who  is  the  owner”  Sadly  for  me  at  that  time,  he  did  not  divulge  a  name.  However,  things  have  developed  since  then.      

 

I  dedicate  this  article  to  my  dear  friend  Barbara  Peterken  

Who  inspired  me  to  research  and  put  it  together?    

 In   January   2014,   I   met   a   very  enthusiastic   young   Egyptologist   at  the   Polish   House,   who   was  working  on  this  possible  cliff  tomb,  he   said   to   me   “We   are   about   to  make   the   biggest   discovery   since  Tutankhamun  and  we  only  have  30  metres  more   to  go   to  get   to   it”   but  we   need   funding”   So,   is   this  Amenhotep  I’s  tomb?