Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt

Egypt
1549/1550 BC–1292 BC
Capital		Thebes, Akhetaten
Languages		Egyptian language
Religion		Ancient Egyptian Religion
Government		Absolute monarchy
Historical era		Bronze Age
•	Established	1549/1550 BC
•	Disestablished	1292 BC
Preceded by Succeeded by Seventeenth Dynasty of Egypt Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt

Dynasties of Ancient Egypt
All years are BC
Early First Dynasty I c. 3150–2890 Second Dynasty II 2890–2686
Old Kingdom Third Dynasty III 2686–2613 Fourth Dynasty IV 2613–2498 Fifth Dynasty V 2498–2345 Sixth Dynasty VI 2345–2181
First Intermediate Seventh Dynasty VII spurious Eighth Dynasty VIII 2181–2160 Ninth Dynasty IX 2160–2130 Tenth Dynasty X 2130–2040 Early Eleventh Dynasty XI 2134–2061
Middle Kingdom Late Eleventh Dynasty XI 2061–1991 Twelfth Dynasty XII 1991–1803 Thirteenth Dynasty XIII 1803–1649 Fourteenth Dynasty XIV 1705–1690
Second Intermediate Fifteenth Dynasty XV 1674–1535 Sixteenth Dynasty XVI 1660–1600 Abydos Dynasty 1650–1600 Seventeenth Dynasty XVII 1580–1549
New Kingdom Eighteenth Dynasty XVIII 1549–1292 Nineteenth Dynasty XIX 1292–1189 Twentieth Dynasty XX 1189–1077
Third Intermediate Twenty-first Dynasty XXI 1069–945 Twenty-second Dynasty XXII 945–720 Twenty-third Dynasty XXIII 837–728 Twenty-fourth Dynasty XXIV 732–720 Twenty-fifth Dynasty XXV 732–653
Late Period Twenty-sixth Dynasty XXVI 672–525 Twenty-seventh Dynasty (1st Persian Period) XXVII 525–404 Twenty-eighth Dynasty XXVIII 404–398 Twenty-ninth Dynasty XXIX 398–380 Thirtieth Dynasty XXX 380–343 Thirty-first Dynasty (2nd Persian Period) XXXI 343–332
Ptolemaic (Hellenistic) Argead Dynasty 332–305 Ptolemaic Kingdom 323–30
v t e

The Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt (notated Dynasty XVIII, alternatively 18th Dynasty or Dynasty 18) is classified as the first Dynasty of the Ancient Egyptian New Kingdom period, lasting from 1549/1550 BC to 1292 BC. It boasts several of Egypt's most famous pharaohs, including Tutankhamun, whose tomb was found by Howard Carter in 1922. This dynasty is also known as the Thutmosid Dynasty for the four pharaohs named Thutmose.

Famous pharaohs of Dynasty XVIII include Hatshepsut (c. 1479 BC–1458 BC), longest-reigning woman-pharaoh of an indigenous dynasty, and Akhenaten (c. 1353–1336 BC), the "heretic pharaoh", with his queen, Nefertiti.

The Eighteenth Dynasty is unique among Ancient Egyptian dynasties in that it had two women who ruled as sole Pharaoh: Hatshepsut, the longest reigning female sovereign of Egypt who is generally regarded as one of the most innovative rulers of Ancient Egypt (of either gender), and King Neferneferuaten, usually identified as the iconic Queen Nefertiti.^[1]

Dynasty XVIII is the first of the three dynasties of the Egyptian New Kingdom, the period in which ancient Egypt reached the peak of its power.

Contents

• 
  1 History
  
  • 
    1.1 Early Dynasty XVIII
    
  
  
  • 
    1.2 Akhenaten, the Amarna Period, and Tutankhamun
    
  
  
  • 
    1.3 Ay and Horemheb
    
  
  


• 
  2 Dating
  


• 
  3 Pharaohs of the 18th Dynasty
  


• 
  4 Timeline of the 18th Dynasty
  


• 
  5 Gallery of images
  


• 
  6 See also
  


• 
  7 References
  


• 
  8 Bibliography
  


• 
  9 External links
  

History

Early Dynasty XVIII

Trial piece showing a head of an unknown king in profile. Uraeus on forehead. Limestone relief. 18th Dynasty. From Thebes, Egypt. The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, London

Head of an Early Eighteenth Dynasty King, c. 1539–1493 BC, 37.38E, Brooklyn Museum

Dynasty XVIII was founded by Ahmose I, the brother or son of Kamose, the last ruler of the 17th Dynasty. Ahmose finished the campaign to expel the Hyksos rulers. His reign is seen as the end of the Second Intermediate Period and the start of the New Kingdom. Ahmose was succeeded by his son, Amenhotep I, whose reign was relatively uneventful.^[2]

Amenhotep I probably left no male heir and the next pharaoh, Thutmose I, seems to have been related to the royal family through marriage. During his reign the borders of Egypt's empire reached their greatest expanse, extending in the north to Carchemish on the Euphrates and up to Kurgus beyond the fourth cataract in the south. Thutmose I was succeeded by Thutmose II and his queen, Hatshepsut. She was the daughter of Thutmose I and soon after her husband's death, ruled for over twenty years after becoming pharaoh during the minority of her stepson, who later would become pharaoh as Thutmose III.

Thutmose III who later became known as the greatest military pharaoh ever, also had a lengthy reign after becoming pharaoh. He had a second co-regency in his old age with his son Amenhotep II. Amenhotep II was succeeded by Thutmose IV, who in his turn was followed by his son Amenhotep III. The reign of Amenhotep III is seen as a high point in this dynasty. Amenhotep III undertook large scale building programmes, the extent of which can only be compared with those of the much longer reign of Ramesses II during Dynasty XIX.^[3]

Akhenaten, the Amarna Period, and Tutankhamun

Main article: Amarna Period

Amenhotep III may have shared the throne for up to twelve years with his son Amenhotep IV, who would change his name to Akhenaten. There is much debate about this proposed co-regency. Some experts believe there was a lengthy co-regency, while others prefer to see a short one. There are also many experts who believe no such co-regency existed at all.

In the fifth year of his reign, Amenhotep IV changed his name to Akhenaten and moved his capital to Amarna. During the reign of Akhenaten the Aten—the sundisk—first became the most prominent deity, and eventually the Aten was considered the only god.^[4] Whether this amounted to true monotheism continues to be the subject of debate within the academic community. Some state that Akhenaten created a monotheism while others point out that he merely suppressed a dominant solar cult by the assertion of another, while he never completely abandoned several other traditional deities.

Later Egyptians considered the so-called Amarna Period an unfortunate aberration. The events following Akhenaten's death are unclear. Individuals named Smenkhare and Neferneferuaten are known but their relative placement and role in history is still much debated. Tutankhamun eventually took the throne and died young.^[5]

Ay and Horemheb

Block Statue of Ay, c. 1336–1327 BC, 66.174.1, Brooklyn Museum

The last two members of the 18th Dynasty—Ay and Horemheb—became rulers from the ranks of officials in the royal court, although Ay may have married the widow of Tutankhamun in order to obtain power and she did not live long afterward. Ay's reign was short. His successor was Horemheb, a general during the reign of Tutankhamun whom the childless pharaoh may have intended as his successor.^[5] Horemheb may have taken the throne away from Ay in a coup. He died childless and appointed his successor, Ramesses I, who ascended the throne in 1292 BC and was the first pharaoh of the 19th Dynasty.

Limestone fragment showing 2 cartouches bearing the throne-name (left) and birth-name and the epithet "god's father Ay the god the ruler of Thebes" (right) of Ay. From Egypt. 18th Dynasty. Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology

This example to the right depicts a man named Ay who achieved the exalted religious positions of Second Prophet of Amun and High Priest of the Goddess Mut at Thebes. His career flourished during the reign of Tutankhamun, when the statue was made. The cartouches of King Ay, Tutankhamun's successor appearing on the statue, were an attempt by an artisan to "update" the sculpture.^[6]

Dating

Radiocarbon dating suggests that Dynasty XVIII may have started a few years earlier than the conventional date of 1550 BC. The radiocarbon date range for its beginning is 1570–1544 BC, the mean point of which is 1557 BC.^[7]

Pharaohs of the 18th Dynasty

Main article: List of pharaohs

The pharaohs of Dynasty XVIII ruled for approximately two hundred and fifty years (c. 1550–1298 BC). The dates and names in the table are taken from Dodson and Hilton.^[8] Many of the pharaohs were buried in the Valley of the Kings in Thebes (designated KV). More information can be found on the Theban Mapping Project website.^[9] Several diplomatic marriages are known for the New Kingdom. These daughters of foreign kings are often only mentioned in cuneiform texts and are not known from other sources. The marriages were likely a way to confirm good relations between these states.^[10]

Pharaoh	Image	Throne name / Prenomen	Reign	Burial	Consort(s)	Comments
Ahmose I		Nebpehtire	1549–1524 BC		Ahmose-Nefertari Ahmose-Henuttamehu Ahmose-Sitkamose
Amenhotep I		Djeserkare	1524–1503 BC	KV39? or Tomb ANB?	Ahmose-Meritamon
Thutmose I		Aakheperkare	1503–1493 BC	KV20, KV38	Ahmose Mutnofret
Thutmose II		Aakheperenre	1493–1479 BC	KV42?	Hatshepsut Iset
Hatshepsut		Maatkare	1479–1458 BC	KV20	Thutmose II
Thutmose III		Menkheper(en)re	1479–1425 BC	KV34	Satiah Merytre-Hatshepsut Nebtu Menhet, Menwi and Merti
Amenhotep II		Aakheperure	1425–1398 BC	KV35	Tiaa
Thutmose IV		Menkheperure	1398–1388 BC	KV43	Nefertari Iaret Mutemwiya Daughter of Artatama I of Mitanni
Amenhotep III		Nebmaatre	1388–1350 BC	KV22	Tiye Gilukhipa of Mitanni Tadukhipa of Mitanni Sitamun Iset Daughter of Kurigalzu I of Babylon[10] Daughter of Kadashman-Enlil of Babylon[10] Daughter of Tarhundaradu of Arzawa[10] Daughter of the ruler of Ammia[10]
Amenhotep IV/Akhenaten		Neferkepherure-Waenre	1351–1334 BC	Royal Tomb of Akhenaten	Nefertiti Kiya Tadukhipa of Mitanni Daughter of Šatiya, ruler of Enišasi[10] Meritaten? Meketaten? Ankhesenamun Daughter of Burna-Buriash II, King of Babylon[10]
Smenkhkare		Ankhkheperure	1335–1334 BC		Meritaten
Neferneferuaten		Ankhkheperure	1334–1332 BC		Akhenaten? Smenkhkare?	Usually identified as Queen Nefertiti
Tutankhamun		Nebkheperure	1332–1323 BC	KV62	Ankhesenamun
Ay		Kheperkheperure	1323–1319 BC	KV23	Ankhesenamun Tey
Horemheb		Djeserkheperure-Setepenre	1319–1292 BC	KV57	Mutnedjmet Amenia

Timeline of the 18th Dynasty