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| == Significance == | == Significance == | ||
| Sitamun is among a handful of figures that appear near the end of the reign of Amenhotep III, the others being her brother (Thutmose V, heir apparent, but |
Sitamun is among a handful of figures that appear near the end of the reign of Amenhotep III, the others being her brother (], heir apparent, but disappearing before the death of Amenhotep III), and the well-known ] and ]. This was an era of Egyptian history in which women assumed far more powerful roles than ever before. ] is the obvious example, but there are others such as ] and Sitamun's own mother, ]. Sitamun herself as the eldest daughter of a powerful queen would have been prepared for a political role. Yet she never seems to have fulfilled it, despite having her own estate at ] and numerous titles. One possibility is that she suffered the same fate as the later ]; that is, to be married to an heir who never reached his full potential (such as Thutmose V or the ephemeral Smenkhare). Another is that she simply died or went into seclusion. | ||
| As the granddaughter of ] and ], Sitamun is a direct link to the family which would eventually usurp the Egyptian throne, in the form of their son, ] the last Amarna King. Curiously, while Sitamun herself is not mentioned at Amarna, her steward is, although under a different name: Huy. Under this name he became the Royal Treasurer of ]. | As the granddaughter of ] and ], Sitamun is a direct link to the family which would eventually usurp the Egyptian throne, in the form of their son, ] the last Amarna King. Curiously, while Sitamun herself is not mentioned at Amarna, her steward is, although under a different name: Huy. Under this name he became the Royal Treasurer of ]. | ||
Revision as of 17:04, 24 September 2006
Sitamun (also Sitamen, Satamun ) c. (1370 BC–unknown)
Eldest daughter of Pharaoh Amenhotep III and his Great Royal Wife, Tiye. Sister of Pharaoh Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten). Granddaughter of Yuya and Thuya, although this is often debated, in favor of her being Amenhotep III's sister..
Biography
Sitamun is very well attested in several contexts, most notably in the tomb of Yuya and Thuya where a series of three finely made chairs was discovered. As these chairs were used, and are of progressively larger size, it is assumed they belonged to Sitamun herself as she was growing up. They were then placed in her grandparents' tomb in the tradition of placing objects which had meaning in the deceased's life. Almost nothing is known of her life beyond being the oldest daughter of a powerful (and long-lived) queen. Near the end of her father's reign (Year 31), she is elevated to the status of Great Royal Wife. She vanishes at the end of his reign and is not mentioned in the reign of the next Pharaoh, Akhenaten.
A separate chamber was carved for her in Amenhotep III's tomb in the Valley of the Kings, but there is no evidence she was ever buried there.
Titles
Singer of the Lord of the Two Lands King’s Wife, King’s Great Wife, King’s Daughter, King’s Daughter Whom He Loves, Eldest Daughter of the King, Great Daughter of the King Whom He Loves. These identifications are problematic in that Amenhotep III had a sister by the same name, and these titles could equally well apply to her. It was the tradition of Pharaohs of this period to marry their oldest sister (see: Thutmose IV/Iaret) even if that sister ultimately was not the most important wife, that is, the mother of the heir. However, for the purposes of this entry Sitamun will refer to the daughter of Amenhotep III and Tiye only (if they were not one and the same).
In addition to the royal titles, Sitamun also bore the title "God's Wife of Amun" a title which is still not completely understood. It appears to have been hereditary in the 18th Dynasty, passed from the ruling queen to her eldest daughter, who often became the next queen. It is worth noting that Hatshepsut held this position, prior to becoming Pharaoh. The position was not the mere empty formality that it became in the Ramessid Era (19th Dynasty). Its function during the 18th Dynasty may have been to provide wives of royal blood to newly ascendant Pharaohs, effectively to legitimize their rule.
Objects, Statues, Inscriptions
Sitamen's name appears on the following:
Chairs in tomb of Yuya and Thuya
Estate at Malkata
Tomb of Amunhotep-son-of-Hapu (mentioned as manager of the estate)
Statue of Amenhotep III/Tiye in Egyptian National Museum featuring several of their daughters, among them Sitamun (others: Isis, Nebetah).
Relief from Amenhotep III's mortuary temple, found by William Matthew Flinders Petrie, currently in Petrie museum.
Marriage to Amenhotep III:
Father/daughter incest among the ancient Egyptians is covered in other articles. Sufficient to note that the "marriage" of Amenhotep III to his daughter is often cited as an example. This marriage is almost without exception mentioned by authors dealing with the origins of the Amarna period (see: Alred, Reeves, Redford), and likewise almost never substantiated. The reasons given for this marriage are equally suspect. Authors propose that the marriage served to legitimize a ruler who at this point had occupied the throne of Egypt for thirty-one years.
When evidence is presented, it consists of the following:
- A blue-faiance kohl-tube with the cartouches of Amenhotep III and Sitamun
- An alabaster bowl found at Amarna with the same cartouches.
- The fact that near the end of Amenhotep III's reign, Sitamun is elevated to Great Royal Wife.
It should be noted that Amenhotep III's son, Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV), likewise "married" his eldest daughter Meriaten, as well as his third daughter, Ankenspaaten, both by Nefertiti. However, both are also clearly identified as being the wives of the shadowy successor to Akhenaten, Smenkhare, and the famous Tutankamen.
Sitamun is often proposed (on no evidence whatsover) as the mother of both Smenkhare and Tutankamen.
Significance
Sitamun is among a handful of figures that appear near the end of the reign of Amenhotep III, the others being her brother (Thutmose V, heir apparent, but disappearing before the death of Amenhotep III), and the well-known Akhenaten and Nefertiti. This was an era of Egyptian history in which women assumed far more powerful roles than ever before. Hatshepsut is the obvious example, but there are others such as Ahmose-Nefertari and Sitamun's own mother, Tiye. Sitamun herself as the eldest daughter of a powerful queen would have been prepared for a political role. Yet she never seems to have fulfilled it, despite having her own estate at Malkata and numerous titles. One possibility is that she suffered the same fate as the later Meritaten; that is, to be married to an heir who never reached his full potential (such as Thutmose V or the ephemeral Smenkhare). Another is that she simply died or went into seclusion.
As the granddaughter of Yuya and Thuya, Sitamun is a direct link to the family which would eventually usurp the Egyptian throne, in the form of their son, Ay the last Amarna King. Curiously, while Sitamun herself is not mentioned at Amarna, her steward is, although under a different name: Huy. Under this name he became the Royal Treasurer of Akhenaten.
References
While any book on the Amarna Period of Egyptian history will mention Sitamun, none go into any detail except (thanks to Segereh on the Egyptian Dreams board):
- H. Schäfer's "Amarna in Religion und Kunst", Leipzig 1931.
- E. Riefstahl "Thebes in the Time of Amenhotep III", NY 1964.