Meritaten: The Powerful Princess of the Amarna Period

Meritaten: The Powerful Princess of the Amarna Period Who Almost Became Pharaoh

Meritaten was the eldest daughter of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. She rose to become Great Royal Wife, possibly to Smenkhkare. She played a crucial role in the royal succession process which occurred after her father Akhenaten passed away. The Amarna Period presents complex political dynamics which involve royal women as significant players in Egyptian governmental affairs according to her biographical account.

She was an ancient Egyptian royal woman of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt. Her name means “She who is beloved of Aten“; Aten being the sun-deity whom her father, Pharaoh Akhenaten, worshipped. She held several titles which included official duties for her father and her role as Great Royal Wife to her husband Pharaoh Smenkhkare who might have been a brother or son of Akhenaten. She has been theorized to be identical with female Pharaoh Ankhkheperure Neferneferuaten; however, an inscription on the box found in Tutankhamun’s tomb seemingly presents the two as different individuals.

Princess Meritaten, from el-Amarna

The historical figure of Meritaten stands as a vital yet frequently disregarded character from ancient Egypt’s Amarna Period. She became the firstborn child of Akhenaten and Nefertiti and spent her childhood at the royal palace which operated as a center for three major societal changes that affected both religious practices and artistic expression and political systems.

Meritaten, unlike other royal daughters from past periods, received extensive public exposure through official artistic works and written records. She appeared frequently alongside her parents in temple reliefs, often taking part in rituals and ceremonies connected to the worship of the Aten.

The royal family experienced new leadership transitions which led to her growing official responsibilities. By the later years of Akhenaten’s reign, she had become one of the most influential women in Egypt. Her story provides essential information about the ways royal women achieved political authority during periods when governments underwent major changes.

The Amarna Period

The Amarna Period marks a complete transformation of ancient Egyptian history because it represents one of the most significant changes. Akhenaten established the new religious system of Aten worship when he ruled Egypt because he rejected the existing religious traditions.

Egyptian society experienced a complete transformation through this new system which brought changes to temple operations and art creation methods. The new religious movement started in Akhetaten, which served as the new capital city for the Egyptians.

Meritaten grew up in this environment, where the royal family played a direct role in religious worship. The new system required only the king and his family to perform religious duties, unlike previous systems that needed extensive priesthood membership.

Egypt entered a state of chaos following Akhenaten’s passing. The political situation became complicated when Meritaten played a central role in the city after people stopped worshiping Aten and returned to their former customs.

Meritaten Name and Its Meaning

The name Meritaten means “Beloved of the Aten” which shows the religious beliefs of the Amarna Period. Ancient Egyptians used names to express their faith and Meritaten’s name connected her to the Aten.

The connection demonstrates her status as a royal family member who served as part of the holy bond between the king and the Aten and the citizens. Her name continued to exist as a testament to her exceptional historical period even after Aten worship lost its prominence.

Meritaten Family

Meritaten was the first of six daughters born to Pharaoh Akhenaten and his Great Royal Wife, Nefertiti. Her sisters are Meketaten, Ankhesenpaaten, Neferneferuaten Tasherit, Neferneferure, and Setepenre. Meritaten is mentioned in diplomatic letters as Mayati. She is mentioned in a letter from Abimilki of Tyre. The reference is usually thought to date to the period when Meritaten’s position at court became more important, in the latter part of Akhenaten’s reign. It is possible, however, that the letter refers to the birth of Meritaten.

She was married to Akhenaten’s successor, the Pharaoh Smenkhkare. Inscriptions mention a young princess named Meritaten Tasherit, who may be the daughter of Meritaten and Smenkhkare. Inscriptions from Ashmunein suggest that Meritaten-tasherit is the daughter of Meritaten. The scene dates to the reign of Akhenaten, and this means the father of the young princess could be Akhenaten.

If so, this means Akhenaten took his own daughters as wives. Another princess named Ankhesenpaaten Tasherit had been suggested as an additional daughter of Meritaten, but it is more likely that she is a daughter of Ankhesenpaaten. Additionally, Meritaten is speculated to be the mother of Tutankhamun, either by Smenkhkare or by her own father Akhenaten.

Meritaten Biography

1- Early years in Thebes

She most likely was born in Thebes, early in her father’s marriage to Nefertiti, perhaps before he assumed the throne, as she is shown officiating during year five of his reign. The royal family first lived in Thebes and the royal palace may have been part of the Temple Complex of Akhenaten at Karnak. The exact use of the buildings in Karnak is not known, but the scenes decorating the Teni-menu suggest it may have served as a residence.

She is depicted beside her mother Nefertiti in reliefs carved into the Hut-Benben. The Hut-Benben was a structure associated with Nefertiti, who is the main officiant in the scenes, the great royal wife being the highest priestess. Meritaten appears behind her mother shaking a sistrum. Her younger sisters Meketaten and Ankhesenpaaten also appear in some of the scenes, but not so often as Meritaten.

Nefertiti or Meritaten

2- The Rise of Meritaten’s Power

The royal family structure underwent changes which led to her greater presence in inscriptions according to some academic sources.

She began to perform royal duties which queens normally held during her later years of the Amarna Period. The historical record shows that Nefertiti became less visible which may have caused this transformation to occur.

The rise of Meritaten shows how royal women achieved power during times when it became necessary for them to lead.

3- Meritaten as an Amarna Royal Princess

In year five of her father Akhenaten’s reign, she appears on the boundary stelae designating the boundaries of the new capital to which her father moved the royal family and his administrators. During Akhenaten’s reign, she was the most frequently depicted and mentioned of the six daughters. Her figure appears on paintings in temples, tombs, and private chapels. Not only is she shown among images showing the family life of the pharaoh, which were typical of the Amarna Period, but also on those depicting official ceremonies, as well.

The two structures most associated with Meritaten at Amarna are the Northern Palace and the Maru-Aten. The Maru-Aten was located to the south of the city limits of Amarna. The structure consisted of two enclosures containing pools or lakes and pavilions set in an area planted with trees. An artificial island contained a pillared construction that held a painted pavement showing scenes from nature.

Meritaten’s name seems to replace that of another royal lady in several places, among them in the Northern Palace and in the Maru-Aten. This had been misinterpreted as evidence of Nefertiti’s disgrace and banishment from the royal court but, more recently, the erased inscriptions turned out to be the name of Kiya, one of Akhenaten’s secondary wives, disproving that interpretation.

4- Meritaten as Great Royal Wife

At some point, Meritaten married Smenkhkare and became his Great Royal Wife. She is depicted with him in the tomb of Meryre II, bestowing honors and gifts upon Meryre. The chronology of the final years of the Amarna Period is unclear. Smenkhkare is believed to have served as a co-regent to Akhenaten. Meritaten was the Great Royal Wife to Smenkhkare, while Nefertiti continued as the Great Royal Wife of Akhenaten. Nefertiti still held the Great Royal Wife title in year 16, hence Smenkhkare must have been a co-regent at that time, or otherwise ruled with his wife Meritaten sometime after year 16 of Akhenaten.

Meritaten is mentioned on gold daisies that decorated a garment found in Tutankhamen’s tomb. She is also mentioned on a wooden box meant to contain linen garments. The box mentions two kings: Neferkheperure-Waenre (Akhenaten) and Ankhkheperure-mr-waenre, Neferneferuaten-mr-waenre and the Great Royal Wife Meritaten.

According to some scholars, such as J.P. Allen, Ankhkheperure Smenkhkare ruled together with Meritaten, but in the year following Akhenaten’s death, Smenkhkare died. The theory is that Meritaten was the ‘king’s daughter’ Akenkeres who is recorded in Manetho’s Epitome to have assumed the throne next, in her own right as king and bearing the name Neferneferuaten. Neferneferuaten is assigned a reign of two years and one month and is placed in Manetho’s account as the immediate predecessor of the king, Rathothis, who is believed to be Tutankhamun, her half-brother by another, unnamed wife of Akhenaten.

However, the inscription mentioned above on the wooden box from Tutankhamun’s tomb appears to treat Neferneferuaten and Meritaten as two different individuals, hence making it unlikely that the latter was the same person as Neferneferuaten.

Archaeologist Alain Zivie asserts that Meritaten also became a foster mother to Tutankhamun, referred to as Maia in some ancient records. Zivie noted that Thutmose, the sculptor appointed vizier by Akhenaten and who was found to be the creator of the famous bust of Nefertiti also created one of Maïa (Bubasteion I.20), the foster mother of Tutankhamun and who, in fact, was “Merytaten, the elder daughter of Akhenaten”, “who sat briefly on the throne”.

Meritaten and the Mystery of Neferneferuaten

Golden Nut Pectoral inscribed for the female king Neferneferuaten

Egyptologists study their most basic research question which asks whether Meritaten and Neferneferuaten are the same individual. The scholars believe that Meritaten used this name to rule as either a female pharaoh or a co-regent. The theory depends on the existence of shared names and titles which appear on the inscriptions.

The evidence shows that Meritaten belongs to the exceptional group of women who attained Egyptian kingship throughout history. The theory remains under debate because the evidence does not provide definite proof.

Meritaten’s Role in the Transition Period

The period after Akhenaten’s death brought Egypt into a difficult transitional period. The transition from Aten worship needed adjustments in religious practices and governmental systems.

Meritaten’s position during this time suggests that she may have played a role in managing this transition. Her experience and status would have made her a valuable figure in maintaining continuity.

She played an important role in Egyptian history through her functions as queen and co-regent and her position as a royal family member.

Relationship with Tutankhamun

Tutankhamun

Tutankhamun eventually became king after the Amarna Period. His reign marked the restoration of traditional religion. The exact relationship between Meritaten and Tutankhamun is not fully understood, but they were likely closely connected within the royal family.

Some theories suggest that Meritaten may have influenced the early years of his reign, although direct evidence is limited.

The Disappearance of Meritaten

The historical record shows that Meritaten vanished after Tutankhamun attained power. The absence of information about her has resulted in multiple speculative theories about her fate.

She may have died, lost her position, or been removed from the official narrative as part of the effort to erase the Amarna Period. The mystery surrounding her existence reaches new heights because people lack details about her later years.

The Erasure of the Amarna Period

The time period which Horemheb lived after the Amarna Period ended became the time when he tried to eliminate all traces of that historical period.

The process required monument modifications which included name deletions and new historical accounts to be created. The evidence which existed about Meritaten has been diminished through this process.

The complete story about her life remains unknown because her story has been systematically erased from history.

Meritaten Death and burial

The boundary stele texts state that Meritaten would be buried at Akhet-Aten which is currently known as Amarna. The Amarna royal tomb functioned as the burial site for Meketaten Tiye and Akhenaten until its closing which followed Akhenaten’s death and burial. Afterward Meritaten’s burial was supposed to take place in one of the other royal tombs located in Amarna.