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108-398: Senusret III was the son of Senusret II and Khenemetneferhedjet I , also called Khenemetneferhedjet I Weret ( the elder ). Three wives of Senusret III are known for certain. These are Itakayt , Khenemetneferhedjet II and Neferthenut , all three mainly known from their burials next to the pyramid of the king at Dahshur . Several daughters are known, although they also are attested only by

216-469: A Year 39 hieratic control note was recovered on a white limestone block from: ...a securely defined deposit of construction debris produced from the building of the Senwosret III mortuary temple. The fragment itself is part of the remnants of the temple construction. This deposit provides evidence for the date of construction of the mortuary temple of Senwosret III at Abydos. Wegner stresses that it

324-415: A co-regency period to Senusret II's rule, with his father Amenemhat II as his co-regent. The Egyptologist Peter Clayton ascribes at least three years of co-regency to Senusret II's reign. The Egyptologist Nicolas Grimal assigns nearly five years of co-regency prior to sole accession to the throne. The lengths of the reigns of Senusret II and Senusret III are one of the main considerations for discerning

432-556: A complete pyramid at Kahun , with a solid granite funerary temple and complex of buildings. Such projects optimally took fifteen to twenty years to complete, even with the mudbrick cores used in Middle Kingdom pyramids. At present, the problem concerning the reign length of Senusret II is irresolvable but many Egyptologists today prefer to assign him a reign of 9 or 10 years only given the absence of higher dates attested for him beyond his 8th regnal year. This would entail amending

540-402: A copy of Djoser's complex at Saqqara. The mastabas were solid and no chambers have found within or beneath, indicating that they were cenotaphs and possibly symbolic in nature. Flinders Petrie investigated the auxiliary pyramid and found no chambers. The entrances to the underground chambers were on the southern side of the pyramid, which confused Flinders Petrie for some months as he looked for

648-410: A core constructed entirely of mudbrick encased in fine white Tura limestone. The pyramid had a base length of between 102 m (335 ft; 195 cu) and 105 m (344 ft; 200 cu) with a shallower inclination of between 48° and 52° up to a peak height 58 m (190 ft; 111 cu) for a total volume of 200,158 m (7,068,500 cu ft). The shallower inclination angle

756-402: A coregency. Murnane argues that if there was a coregency, it could not have lasted more than a few months. The evidence from the papyrus document is now obviated by the fact that the document has been securely dated to Year 19 of Senusret III and Year 1 of Amenemhet III . At present, no document from Senusret II's reign has been discovered from Lahun, the king's new capital city. In 1889,

864-548: A daughter, Sobekneferu. It has also been suggested that Amenemhat IV may instead have been a grandson. Evidence of burials of three other princesses – Hathorhotep , Nubhotep , and Sithathor – were found at the Dahshur complex, but it is not clear whether these princesses were Amenemhat III's daughters as the complex was used for royal burials throughout the Thirteenth Dynasty. The relative chronology of rulers in

972-420: A more natural and expressive physiognomy, while retaining an idealized image. A wide range of stones were used for the sculpture of the king, include white limestone, obsidian, chalcedony and copper alloy. Furthermore, the king introduced new and re-interpreted types of sculptures, many of which were inspired by far older works. Two broad facial types can be assigned to Amenemhat III. An expressive style in which

1080-482: A new one. The second pyramid is at Hawara (Egyptian language: Uncertain, possibly ꜥnḫ Ỉmn-m-hꜣt 'Amenemhat Lives' ), in the Faiyum Oasis. This pyramid project was begun around Amenemhat III's 15th regnal year, after problems with the Dahshur pyramid persisted. The choice of Hawara suggests that the cultivation of Faiyum was complete and that Amenemhat III was diverting resources to that area. The pyramid had

1188-747: A pair of pectorals and a crown or diadem were found there. They are now displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of New York or the Cairo Museum in Egypt. In 2009, Egyptian archaeologists announced the results of new excavations led by the Egyptologist Abdul Rahman Al-Ayedi. They described unearthing a cache of pharaonic-era mummies in brightly painted wooden coffins near the Lahun pyramid. The mummies were reportedly

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1296-441: A partially known Khnemet-. Two of Amenemhat III's wives are known, Aat and Khenemetneferhedjet III , who were both buried in his Pyramid at Dahshur . Hetepti – the mother of Amenemhat IV – might be another wife. He had one confirmed daughter, Neferuptah , who appears to have been groomed as his successor, owing to her name being enclosed in cartouche . The Egyptologists Aidan Dodson and Dyan Hilton indicate that Neferuptah

1404-484: A peaceful and stable Egypt, which reached its cultural and economic zenith under his direction. There is very little evidence for military expeditions during Amenemhat III's reign. One rock inscription records a small mission in regnal year nine. It was found in Nubia, near the fortress of Kumma. The short text reports that a military mission was guided by the mouth of Nekhen Zamonth who states that he went north with

1512-562: A period of peace and prosperity, with no recorded military campaigns and the proliferation of trade between Egypt and the Near-East. Around the same time, parties of Western Asiatic foreigners visiting the Pharaoh with gifts are recorded, as in the tomb paintings of 12th-dynasty official Khnumhotep II , who also served under Senusret III. These foreigners, possibly Canaanites or Bedouins , are labelled as Aamu ( ꜥꜣmw ), including

1620-412: A project continued by his successors and which "matured" during the reign of his grandson Amenemhat III . To set off this project, Senusret II developed an irrigation system with a dyke and a network of canals which siphoned water from Lake Moeris. The land reclaimed in this project was then farmed. Cults honouring the crocodile god Sobek were prominent at the time. Senusret II's reign ushered in

1728-415: A reign of 43 years under the name Μάρης (romanized Marês) as the thirty-fifth king of Thebes . Amenemhat III was the son of Senusret III, his predecessor on the throne. There is no explicit testimony to this filial relationship, however, the inference can be made from their co-regency. The identity of his mother is unknown. He had several sisters – Menet , Mereret , Senetsenbetes , Sithathor , and

1836-423: A reign of only 10 years and assign the 19-year reign to Senusret III instead. Other Egyptologists, however, such as Jürgen von Beckerath and Frank Yurco , have maintained the traditional view of a longer 19-year reign for Senusret II given the level of activity undertaken by the king during his reign. Yurco notes that reducing Senusret II's regnal length to 6 years poses difficulties because: That pharaoh built

1944-563: A rock stele found at Konosso as irrefutable evidence in favour of a co-regency between Senusret II and Amenemhat II, and by extension proof of co-regencies in the Twelfth Dynasty. The Egyptologist William J. Murnane states that "the co-regencies of the period are all known ... from double-dated documents". The Egyptologist Thomas Schneider concludes that recently discovered documents and archaeological evidence are effectively proof of co-regencies in this period. Some sources ascribe

2052-985: A small troop and that there were no deaths on the return south. There is a stela dated to regnal 33 that was discovered at Kerma , south of the Third Cataract, discussing the construction of a wall, though this stela must have originated elsewhere as Kerma was beyond Egypt's control at this time. Exploitation of the quarries of Egypt and the Sinai for turquoise and copper peaked during his reign. A collection of more than 50 texts were inscribed at Serabit el-Khadim , Wadi Maghara , and Wadi Nasb . The efforts here were so extensive that near-permanent settlements formed around them. The quarries at Wadi Hammamat (schist), Wadi el-Hudi (amethyst), Tura (limestone), Hatnub (alabaster), Aswan (red granite) and throughout Nubia (diorite) were all also exploited. These all translated into an extensive building program, particularly in

2160-459: A total of between two and five expeditions organized during Amenemhat III's rule. Two of the stelae recovered from the site are dated indicating activity there in his 23rd and 41st regnal years. Amenemhat III's building program included monuments in Khatana, Tell el-Yahudiyya , and Bubastis . At Bubastis, Amenemhat III probably built a palace which hosts relief art containing his name. Of note

2268-424: Is 105 meters square and 78 meters high. The total volume was approximately 288,000 cubic meters. The pyramid was built of a core of mud bricks . They were not made a consistent size implying that standardized moulds were not used. The burial chamber was lined with granite. Above the vaulted burial chamber was a second relieving chamber that was roofed with five pairs of limestone beams each weighing 30 tons. Above this

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2376-522: Is a relief that depicts Amenemhat III officiating his sed -festival. Further works include the enlargement of the temples to Hathor at Serabit el-Khadim and Ptah in Memphis , the construction of a temple in Quban , and the reinforcement of fortresses at Semna. At Elephantine a fragment of stela bearing a building inscription was found dated to his regnal year 44. A very similar inscription from possibly

2484-556: Is a series of 6 songs as part of the archive of papyri from Illahun . It is suggested by Adolf Erman that they were written and composed for the king in a town south of Memphis . The songs outline the responsibilities of the king and embody kingship ideology in the Middle Kingdom . This ideology includes protecting the unity of the two kingdoms , extending the borders of Egypt, striking fear in Egyptian enemies, and ensuring

2592-480: Is also mentioned in Manetho 's Aegyptiaca , originally composed circa the 3rd century BC, tentatively dated to the reign of Ptolemy II . The original work is no longer extant, but has persisted through the writings of Josephus , Africanus , Eusebius , and Syncellus . He is accorded a reign of 8 years under the name Λαχάρης (romanized Lacharês / Lamarês) by both Africanus and Eusebius. Syncellus accords him

2700-561: Is attested on a papyrus from el-Lahun. The papyrus is a business document authored by the vizier in his office discussing payment of two brothers named Ahy-seneb ( Ỉhy-snb ) for their services. At that time one brother, Ahy-seneb Ankh-ren ( ꜥnḫ-rn ), was an 'assistant to the treasurer', yet on a later papyrus containing his will, dated to year 44 of Amenemhat III's reign, he had become the 'director of works'. This latter papyrus contains two dates: year 44, month II of Shemu , day 13 and year 2, month II of Akhet, day 18. The latter date refers to

2808-410: Is best known as the source of diorite for six of Khafre 's seated statues. The locale was also a source of gneiss and chalcedony in the Middle Kingdom. The Chalcedony deposits are also known as 'stela ridge' as it was a place where commemorative stelae and votive offerings were left. Nine of these commemorative objects date to the reign of Amenemhat III, specifically regnal years 2 and 4. A stela

2916-470: Is credited with excavating, although how much of this work was conducted by Amenemhat III is unknown. The work on Lake Moeris had been inaugurated by Senusret II to link the Faiyum Depression with Bahr Yussef . This project reclaimed land downstream at the edges of Lake Moeris allowing it to be farmed. A naturally formed valley 16 km (9.9 mi) long and 1.5 km (0.93 mi) wide

3024-519: Is indeterminable. One inscription dating to year 43 of Amenemhat III's reign comes from Tura and refers to the quarrying of limestone there for a mortuary temple, either that at Dahshur or Hawara. A stela retrieved from the massif of Gebel Zeit, 50 km (31 mi) south of Ras Ghareb , on the Red Sea coast shows activity at the Galena mines there. The stela bears a partial date suggesting that it

3132-470: Is mentioned on the funerary stela of an Ameny ( Ỉmny ) 'chief of staff of the bureau of the vizier'. The latter part of the stela tells of the attendance of Ikhernofret and Sasetet ( Sꜣ-sṯt ) at a feast in Abydos at the instruction of Senusret III after a campaign against Nubia in his regnal year 19. Ameny is also mentioned on the 'stela of Sasetet' dating to the first year of Amenemhat III, where he still held

3240-503: Is most closely associated. In Faiyum, Amenemhat built a huge temple dedicated to Sobek at Kiman Faras. He dedicated a chapel to Renenutet at Medinet Madi . This small temple with three chapels is the best preserved of his temple works. It was built toward the end of his reign and completed by his successor, Amenemhat IV. In Biahmu, he built a massive structure with two colossal 12 m (39 ft) tall seated quartzite statues of himself . These face Lake Moeris , for which he

3348-461: Is not my son, he was not born to me. Now my majesty has had an image made of my majesty, at this border which my majesty has made, in order that you maintain it, in order that you fight for it. The Sebek-khu Stele , dated to the reign of Senusret III (reign: 1878 – 1839 BC), records the earliest known Egyptian military campaign in the Levant. The text reads "His Majesty proceeded northward to overthrow

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3456-422: Is unlikely that Amenemhat III, Senusret's son and successor, would still be working on his father's temple nearly four decades into his own reign. He notes that the only possible explanation for the block's existence at the project is that Senusret III had a 39-year reign, with the final 20 years in coregency with his son Amenemhat III . Since the project was associated with a project of Senusret III, his Regnal Year

3564-546: The Abydos king list from the temple of Seti I (c. 1290–1279 BC) in Abydos , Amenemhat III is attested by his praenomen Ni-maat-re in the sixty-fourth entry. His praenomen also occupies the sixty-fourth entry in the king list at the temple of Ramesses II (c. 1279–1213 BC) in Abydos. In the Saqqara Tablet from the tomb of the chief lector priest and chief of works Tjuneroy , Amenemhat III's praenomen occupies

3672-595: The Asiatics . His Majesty reached a foreign country of which the name was Sekmem (...) Then Sekmem fell, together with the wretched Retenu ", where Sekmem (s-k-m-m) is thought to be Shechem and "Retenu" or " Retjenu " are associated with ancient Syria . His final campaign, which was in his Year 19, was less successful because the king's forces were caught due to the Nile being lower than normal. They had to retreat and abandon their campaign in order to avoid being trapped in

3780-462: The nomarchs , allowed Amenemhat III to inherit a stable and peaceful Egypt. He directed his efforts towards an extensive building program with particular focus on Faiyum . Here he dedicated a temple to Sobek , a chapel to Renenutet , erected two colossal statues of himself in Biahmu , and contributed to excavation of Lake Moeris . He built for himself two pyramids at Dahshur and Hawara , becoming

3888-659: The 19-year figure which the Turin Canon assigns for a 12th dynasty ruler in his position to 9 years instead. However, Senusret II's monthly figure on the throne might be ascertained. According to Jürgen von Beckerath , the temple documents of El-Lahun , the pyramid city of Sesostris/Senusret II often mention the Festival of "Going Forth to Heaven" which might be the date of death for this ruler. These documents state that this Festival occurred on IV Peret day 14. However, Rita Gautschy states that this Festival date did not mark

3996-519: The Egyptologist Flinders Petrie found "a marvellous gold and inlaid royal uraeus " that must have originally formed part of Senusret II's looted burial equipment in a flooded chamber of the king's pyramid tomb. It is now located in the Cairo Museum. The tomb of Princess Sithathoriunet , a daughter of Senusret II, was also discovered by Egyptologists in a separate burial site. Several pieces of jewellery from her tomb including

4104-524: The Labyrinth at Hawara. A few expeditions were sent to Wadi el-Hudi, south-east of Aswan, at the southern border of Egypt, where amethyst was collected. These enterprises date to regnal years 1, 11, 20, and 28. An expedition was also sent to Wadi Abu Agag, near Aswan, in regnal year 13. North-west of Abu Simbel and west of Lake Nasser lie the quarries of Gebel el-Asr in Lower Nubia. The site

4212-408: The Middle Kingdom. Throughout the period, rulers undertook developmental projects turning Faiyum into an agricultural, religious, and resort-like centre. The oasis was located 80 km (50 mi) south-west of Memphis offering arable land centred around Lake Moeris, a natural body of water. Senusret II initiated a project to exploit the marshy region's natural resources for hunting and fishing,

4320-580: The Nile, as demonstrated by inscriptions left at Kumma and Semna. The Nile level peaked in his regnal year 30 at 5.1 m (17 ft), but was followed by a dramatic decline so that it measured 0.5 m (1.6 ft) by regnal year 40. The most enduring of his works are the two pyramids that he built for himself, the first king since Sneferu in the Fourth Dynasty to build more than one. His pyramids are in Dahshur and Hawara. The construction of

4428-455: The Nubians, through which he is thought to have made safe the southern frontier, preventing further incursions into Egypt. Another great stela from Semna dated to the third month of Year 16 of his reign mentions his military activities against both Nubia and Canaan . In it, he admonished his future successors to maintain the new border that he had created: Year 16, third month of winter:

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4536-583: The Saqqara tablet each list Amenemhat III with Senusret III – whose praenomen is Kha-kau-re – as his predecessor and Amenemhat IV – whose praenomen is Maa-kheru-re – as his successor. Instead Egyptological debate has centred on the existence of co-regencies. In his twentieth regnal year, Senusret III elevated his son Amenemhat III to the status of co-regent. The co-regency seems to be established from several indicators, though not all scholars agree and some instead argue for sole reigns for both kings. For

4644-470: The Twelfth Dynasty is considered settled. The Ramesside king lists and the Turin Canon are a significant source in determining the relative chronology of the rulers. The Turin Canon has a lacuna of four lines between Amenemhat I and Amenemhat IV, recording only partial regnal lengths for the four kings – 10 + x, 19, 30 + x, and 40 + x years respectively. The king lists of Seti I and Ramesses II at Abydos and

4752-573: The University of Copenhagen, suggests the possibility that the names on the canon had been misarranged and offers two possible regnal lengths for Senusret II: 10+ years, or 19 years. Several Egyptologists, such as Thomas Schneider , cite Mark C. Stone's 1997 article in the Göttinger Miszellen as determining that Senusret II's highest recorded regnal year was his 8th, based on Stela Cairo JE 59485. Some scholars prefer to ascribe him

4860-408: The activities at these sites, particularly at Serabit el-Khadim . There is scant evidence of military expeditions during his reign, though a small one is attested at Kumma in his ninth regnal year. He also sent a handful of expeditions to Punt . Amenemhat III reigned for at least 45 years, though a papyrus fragment from El-Lahun mentioning a 46th year probably dates to his reign as well. Toward

4968-510: The actual day of Senusret II's death, but of his funeral or burial. Lisa Saladino Haney observe. based on Gautschy's interpretation of this date, "Therefore, if one takes seventy days from the feast day IV Peret 14, one gets II Peret 4 as the approximate date of death of Senwosret/[Senusret II]. The Faiyum Oasis , a region in Middle Egypt, has been inhabited by humans for more than 8000 years. It became an important centre in Egypt during

5076-403: The beginning of Senusret II's reign he was a chamberlain, but by the end of his life he held both the office of vizier and chief steward. His tomb in Dahshur also attests to many other titles including 'high official', 'royal seal-bearer', 'chief lector-priest', 'master of secrets', and 'overseer of the city'. The treasurer Ikhernofret ( Y-ẖr-nfrt ) was still in office in the early years of

5184-423: The body is idealized as forever young and muscular, in the more classical pharaonic fashion. Scholars could only make assumptions about the reasons why Senusret III chose to have himself portrayed in such a unique way, and polarized on two diverging opinions. Some argue that Senusret wanted to be represented as a lonely and disenchanted ruler, human before divine, consumed by worries and by his responsibilities. At

5292-404: The burials around the king's pyramid and their exact relation to the king is disputable. These include Sithathor , Menet , Senetsenebtysy , and Meret . Amenemhat III was most likely a son of the king. Other sons are not known. The tomb of Mereret was found partly robbed but a pectoral of Senusret III, her father, was missed by the tomb robbers. Senusret III cleared a navigable canal through

5400-498: The chronology of the Twelfth Dynasty. The Turin Canon is believed to assign a reign of 19 years to Senusret II and 30 years of reign to Senusret III. This traditional view was challenged in 1972 when the Egyptologist William Kelly Simpson observed that the latest attested regnal year for Senusret II was his 7th, and similarly for Senusret III his 19th. Kim Ryholt , a professor of Egyptology at

5508-464: The collection of inscriptions left at mining sites throughout Egypt, Nubia, and the Sinai peninsula. His activities in the Sinai are particularly well attested to, spanning regnal years 2 to 45. It is notable though, that the overwhelming majority of these inscriptions originate outside Egypt. He is also well attested to through his statuary with approximately 80 works attributed to him, his building program, particularly concentrated around Faiyum, and

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5616-438: The construction of a dike at El-Lahun and the addition of a network of drainage canals. The purpose of his project was to increase the amount of cultivable land in that area. The importance of this project is emphasized by Senusret II's decision to move the royal necropolis from Dahshur to El-Lahun where he built his pyramid . This location would remain the political capital for the 12th and 13th Dynasties of Egypt. Senusret II

5724-503: The development of Faiyum . Amenemhat III's activities in the Sinai peninsula are well-attested. There were expeditions to Wadi Maghara in regnal years 2, 30, and 41–43, with one further expedition in an indiscernible 20 + x year. The temple of Hathor was decorated during the expedition in year 2, which is also the only expedition for which the mining of copper is attested. A related inscription found in Ayn Soukhna suggests that

5832-436: The early Middle Kingdom. In his 30th regnal year, Amenemhat III celebrated his Sed festival which is mentioned in several inscriptions. His reign ends with a brief co-regency with his successor Amenemhat IV. This is evidenced from a rock inscription at Semna which equates regnal year 1 of Amenemhat IV with regnal year 44 or perhaps 46–48 of Amenemhat III. These two kings – Senusret III and Amenemhat III – presided over

5940-408: The end of his reign he instituted a co-regency with Amenemhat IV , as recorded in a rock inscription from Semna in Nubia, which equates regnal year 1 of Amenemhat IV to regnal year 44 or 46–48 of Amenemhat III. Sobekneferu later succeeded Amenemhat IV as the last ruler of the Twelfth Dynasty. There are a variety of contemporary sources attesting to the reign of Amenemhat III. Chief among these are

6048-424: The entire complex which thus measured 385 m (1,263 ft) by 158 m (518 ft). The causeway has been identified near the south-west corner of the complex, but neither it nor the valley temple have been investigated. The pyramid of Neferuptah was built 2 km (1.2 mi) south-east of Amenemhat III's Hawara pyramid. It was excavated by Nagib Farag and Zaky Iskander in 1956. The superstructure of

6156-409: The entrance on the traditional northern side. The builders' vertical access shaft had been filled in after construction and the chamber made to look like a burial chamber. This was no doubt an attempt to convince tomb robbers to look no further. A secondary access shaft led to a vaulted chamber and a deep well shaft. This may have been an aspect of the cult of Osiris, although it may have been to find

6264-431: The face of the king has its musculature, bone structure, and furrows clearly marked. This style is evidently inspired by the sculpture of Senusret III. A humanized style in which the face is simplified with few or no folds or furrows and averse to sharp transitions between features. These have a generally softer, more youthful expression. The vizier Kheti ( H̱ty ) held office around year 29 of Amenemhat III's reign, as

6372-649: The first cataract of the Nile River, (this was different from the Canal of the Pharaohs , which apparently, Senusret III also tried to build). He also relentlessly pushed his kingdom's expansion into Nubia (from 1866 to 1863 BC) where he erected massive river forts including Buhen , Semna , Shalfak and Toshka at Uronarti . He carried out at least four major campaigns into Nubia in his Years 8, 10, 16, and 19. His Year 8 stela at Semna documents his victories against

6480-593: The first pharaoh since Sneferu in the Fourth Dynasty to build more than one. Near to his Hawara pyramid is a pyramid for his daughter Neferuptah . To acquire resources for the building program, Amenemhat III exploited the quarries of Egypt and the Sinai for turquoise and copper. Other exploited sites includes the schist quarries at Wadi Hammamat , amethyst from Wadi el-Hudi , fine limestone from Tura , alabaster from Hatnub , red granite from Aswan , and diorite from Nubia . A large corpus of inscriptions attest to

6588-460: The first to be found in the sand-covered desert rock surrounding the pyramid. The pyramid was built around a framework of limestone radial arms, similar to the framework used by Senusret I. Instead of using an infill of stones, mud and mortar, Senusret II used an infill of mud bricks before cladding the structure with a layer of limestone veneer. The outer cladding stones were locked together using dovetail inserts, some of which still remain. A trench

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6696-462: The following twenty years, Senusret III and Amenemhat III shared the throne, with Amenemhat III taking the active role as king. It is assumed that Amenemhat III took the primary role as the regnal dates roll over from year 19 of Senusret III to year 1 of Amenemhat III. His reign is attested for at least 45 years, though a papyrus fragment from El-Lahun mentioning 'regnal year 46, month 1 of akhet , day 22' probably dates to his rule as well, since

6804-414: The golden age of the Middle Kingdom. Senusret III had pursued aggressive military action to curb incursions from tribes people from Nubia . These campaigns were conducted across several years and were brutal against the native populations, including slaughter of men, enslavement of women and children, and the burning of fields. He also sent a military expedition into Syria-Palestine, enemies of Egypt since

6912-557: The hostile Nubian territory. Such was his forceful nature and immense influence that Senusret III was worshipped as a deity in Semna by later generations. Jacques Morgan, in 1894, found rock inscriptions near Sehel Island documenting his digging of a canal. Senusret III erected a temple and town in Abydos , and another temple in Medamud . His court included the viziers Nebit , and Khnumhotep . Ikhernofret worked as treasurer for

7020-495: The king at Abydos. Sobekemhat was treasurer too and buried at Dahshur. Senankh cleared the canal at Sehel for the king. Horkherty was king's acquaintance. A double-dated papyrus in the Berlin Museum shows Year 20 of his reign next to Year 1 of his son, Amenemhat III ; generally, this is presumed to be a proof for a coregency with his son, which should have been started in this year. According to Josef W. Wegner ,

7128-405: The king is depicted at different ages and, in particular, on the aged ones he sports a strikingly somber expression: the eyes are protruding from hollow eye sockets with pouches and lines under them, the mouth and lips have a grimace of bitterness, and the ears are enormous and protruding forward. In sharp contrast with the even-exaggerated realism of the head and, regardless of his age, the rest of

7236-416: The king made his southern boundary at Heh. I have made my boundary further south than my fathers. I have added to what was bequeathed me. (...) As for any son (i.e., successor) of mine who shall maintain this border which my Majesty has made, he is my son born to my Majesty. The true son is he who champions his father, who guards the border of his begetter. But he [who] abandons it, who fails to fight for it, he

7344-586: The king's reign, as is demonstrated by a funerary stela in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. This official is among the best attested for the Middle Kingdom, though there is little known of his family. His funerary stela is dated to Amenemhat III's first regnal year and bears his name along with three of his titles: 'sealbearer of the King of Lower Egypt', 'sole friend of the king', and 'treasurer'. The treasurer

7452-506: The leading man with a Nubian ibex labelled as Abisha the Hyksos ( 𓋾𓈎𓈉 ḥḳꜣ-ḫꜣsw, Heqa-kasut for "Hyksos"), the first known instance of the name " Hyksos ". There is an absence of serious evidence for a co-regency between Senusret II and Senusret III . Murnane identifies that the only existing evidence for a coregency of Senusret II and III is a scarab with both kings names inscribed on it. The association can be explained as being

7560-486: The mission originated from Memphis and perhaps crossed the Red Sea to the peninsula by boat. A single expedition in Wadi Nasb is attested to his 20th regnal year. Between 18 and 20 expeditions to Serabit el-Khadim have been attested to Amenemhat III's reign: in years 2, 4–8, 13, 15, 20, 23, 25, 27, 30, 38, 40, 44, possibly also 18, 29, and 45, alongside a 10 + x and x + 17 years, and there are many inscriptions whose date

7668-586: The opposite, other scholars suggested that the statues originally would convey the idea of a dreadful tyrant able to see and hear everything under his strict control. More recently, it has been suggested that the purpose of such peculiar portraiture was not to represent realism, but rather, to reveal the perceived nature of royal power at the time of Senusret's reign. Senusret is a major character in Christian Jacq 's historical fiction series The Mysteries of Osiris . Some biblical scholars consider Senusret

7776-558: The owner connects himself to the king. Another chief steward, Senbef ( Snb=f ) is known from an expedition stela found at Mersa and from a papyrus document. The stela contains an image of Amenemhat III presenting offerings to the god Min. Behind the king stands another official, Nebsu ( Nbsw ) the 'Overseer of the Cabinet of the Head of the South', effectively meaning that he was the head of

7884-670: The pharaoh mentioned in Genesis 39-47, who elevated Joseph to a high administrative post, answerable directly to him. Colchis Senusret II Senusret II or Sesostris II was the fourth pharaoh of the Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt . He ruled from 1897 BC to 1878 BC. His pyramid was constructed at El-Lahun . Senusret II took a great deal of interest in the Faiyum oasis region and began work on an extensive irrigation system from Bahr Yussef through to Lake Moeris through

7992-406: The pyramid at Dahshur, the 'Black Pyramid' ( Egyptian language : Sḫm Ỉmn-m-hꜣt meaning 'Amenemhat is Mighty' or Nfr Ỉmn-m-hꜣt meaning 'Amenemhat is Beautiful' /'Perfect One of Amenemhat' ) began in the first year of Amenemhat III's reign. The pyramid core was constructed entirely of mudbrick and stabilized through the building of a stepped core rather than with a stone framework. The structure

8100-438: The pyramid is near completely lost and the substructure was found full of groundwater, but her burial was otherwise undisturbed including both her sarcophagus and funerary equipment. Amenemhat III and Sensuret III are the best attested rulers of the Middle Kingdom by number of statues, with about 80 statues that can be assigned to the former. The sculpture of Amenemhat III continued the tradition of Senusret III, though it pursued

8208-404: The pyramid lay a mortuary temple, that has been identified as " the Labyrinth " which Classical travellers such as Herodotus and Strabo referred to and which was said to have inspired the 'Labyrinth of Minos'. The temple was destroyed in antiquity and can only be partially reconstructed. Its floorplan covered an estimated 28,000 m (300,000 sq ft). According to Strabo's account,

8316-542: The pyramid, lay a mortuary temple of simple design comprising an offering hall and an open columned courtyard. Surrounding the complex were two mudbrick enclosing walls. From the mortuary temple an open, mudbrick walled causeway led to the valley temple. Beneath the pyramid was built a substructure with an intricate series of passages and chambers, with burial chambers for the king and two queens. The two queens, Aat and an unidentified queen, were buried here and their remains were recovered from their chambers. The king, though,

8424-430: The reign of Senusret I . His internal policies targeted the increasing power of provincial governors, transferring power back to the reigning monarch. It is disputed whether he dismantled the nomarchical system. Senusret III also formed the basis for the legendary character Sesostris described by Manetho and Herodotus . As a consequence of Senusret III's administrative and military policies, Amenemhat III inherited

8532-492: The reign of either Amenemhat IV or Sobekneferu. There is one other hieratic text and also a limestone table on which Ahy-seneb Ankh-ren is attested. The other brother, Ahy-seneb Wah ( Wꜣḥ ), was a wab -priest and 'superintendent of priestly orders of Sepdu, lord of the East'. A further vizier datable to the reign was Ameny ( Ỉmny ). Ameny is attested on two rock inscriptions from Aswan. The first found by Flinders Petrie on

8640-518: The result of retroactive dating where Senusret II's final regnal year was absorbed into Senusret III's first one, as would be supported by contemporaneous evidence from the Turin Canon which give Senusret II a regnal duration of 19 full regnal years and a partial one. A dedicatory inscription celebrating the resumption of rituals begun by Senusret II and III, and a papyrus with entries identifying Senusret II's nineteenth regnal year and Senusret III's first regnal year are scant evidence and do not necessitate

8748-558: The road between Philae and Aswan, and the second found by Jacques de Morgan on the right bank of the river nile between Bar and Aswan. The inscriptions bear the names of his family members, including his wife Sehotepibre Nehy ( Sḥtp-ỉb-rꜥ Nḥy ) who is also attested on a stela in Copenhagen National Museum. Khnumhotep ( H̱nmw-ḥtp ) was an official that held office for at least three decades from Senusret II's first regnal year through to Amenemhat III's reign. At

8856-480: The same position. Sasetet holds the title 'chief of staff of the bureau of the treasurer' in that stela. Another treasurer under Amenemhat III is Senusretankh ( S-n-wsrt-ꜥnḫ ), who is known from his recently uncovered mastaba at Dahshur, near the pyramid of Senusret III . The surviving fragments of a red granite offering table recovered from the tomb bear the birth and throne names of Amenemhat III. The table further bears numerous other epithets and titles with which

8964-593: The same year was found at Elkab , which indicates the extension of a defensive wall built by Senusret II. Another find at Elephantine was a door lintel of the Eleventh Dynasty , where Amenemhat III added an inscription dated to his regnal year 34. Inscriptions with the king's name have also been uncovered at Lisht, Memphis, and Heracleopolis and statues of the king were found in Thebes. No site, however, received as much attention as Faiyum, with which Amenemhat III

9072-460: The site, there is a town that houses administrators and priests dedicated to the cult of the late king. The mountain where the tomb is located was known as "The Mountain of Anubis" and was used as a conceptual link of Senusret and the gods. The design of the tomb is likely symbolically representing the descent of the sun into the realm of Osiris . It would later develop into a center for funerary complexes and would include 11 kings whose rules date from

9180-404: The sixth king of the Twelfth Dynasty of the Middle Kingdom . He was elevated to throne as co-regent by his father Senusret III , with whom he shared the throne as the active king for twenty years. During his reign, Egypt attained its cultural and economic zenith of the Middle Kingdom. The aggressive military and domestic policies of Senusret III, which re-subjugated Nubia and wrested power from

9288-399: The structure was crowned, seemingly, by a grey granite pyramidion 1.3 m (4.3 ft) high. This now resides in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, catalogued as JE 35133. The pyramidion had a band of hieroglyphic text running on all four of its sides. That the name of Amun has been erased on the pyramidion can only be the result of Akhenaten 's proscription against the god. In front of

9396-472: The success of his subjects. Though there is not a strong difference of hymns to living kings or dead kings, there is indication that these hymns were to be sung by the king's subjects while he was alive. A hymn reads "may he live for ever and eternity." He was often compared to Sekhmet in the hymns because of his iron fist and conquering of enemies. The cult of the king after his passing lasted for roughly 3 centuries at South Abydos . Senusret's pyramid complex

9504-408: The temple contained as many rooms as there were nomes in Egypt, while Herodotus wrote about being led 'from courtyards into rooms, rooms into galleries, galleries into more rooms, thence into more courtyards'. A limestone statue of Sobek and another of Hathor were discovered here as were two granite shrines each containing two statues of Amenemhat III. A north-south oriented perimeter wall enclosed

9612-553: The thirteenth century and the Second Intermediate Period . The construction dates and inscriptions further suggest a coregency between Senusret III and Amenemhat III , according to Wegner and Dieter Arnold . It shows that the construction of the temple was likely finished during the reign of Amenemhet III rather than he ordered the construction. Senusret III is well known for his distinctive statues, which are almost immediately recognizable as his. On them,

9720-434: The tomb of a local nomarch named Khnumhotep II at Beni Hasan . Co-regencies are a major issue for Egyptologists' understanding of the history of the Middle Kingdom and the Twelfth Dynasty. The Egyptologist Claude Obsomer wholly rejects the possibility of co-regencies in the Twelfth Dynasty. The Egyptologist Karl Jansen-Winkeln having investigated Obsomer's work concluded in favour of co-regencies. Jansen-Winkeln cites

9828-444: The twentieth entry. The Turin Canon has a lacuna in the mid-Twelfth Dynasty preserving no names and only partial reign lengths. The twenty-fifth entry of the fifth column corresponding to Amenemhat III preserves only a regnal length of 40 + x years. The entries of his presumed children and immediate successors – Amenemhat IV and Sobekneferu – are near-wholly intact preserving their praenomen and reign lengths. Amenemhat III

9936-570: The two pyramids that he had built. The Rhind Mathematical Papyrus – one of a limited set of evidence attesting to Egyptian knowledge of mathematics – is also thought to have been originally composed during Amenemhat III's time. The Karnak king list from the Festival Hall of Thutmose III (c. 1479–1425 BC) has a lacuna of two entries between Amenemhat II and Amenemhat IV, though three kings are known to have reigned during this period – Senusret II , Senusret III , and Amenemhat III. In

10044-560: The village was founded by Amenemhat III's grandfather, Senusret II , and no other Twelfth Dynasty ruler after Senusret II reigned for more than 40 years. The highest date might be found on a bowl from Elephantine bearing regnal year 46, month 3 of peret. This attribution is favoured by the Egyptologist Cornelius von Pilgrim, but rejected by the Egyptologist Wolfram Grajetzki who places it in

10152-413: The water table. A passage led northwards, past another lateral chamber and turned westwards. This led to an antechamber and vaulted burial chamber, with a sidechamber to the south. The burial chamber was encircled by a unique series of passages that may have reference to the birth of Osiris. A large sarcophagus was found within the burial chamber; it is larger than the doorway and the tunnels, showing that it

10260-422: Was a step taken to guard against the threat of a collapse and avoid a repeat of the failure at Dahshur. Inside the substructure, builders took further precautions, such as lining chamber pits with limestone. The burial chamber was chiselled out of a single quartzite block measuring 7 m (23 ft) by 2.5 m (8.2 ft) by 1.83 m (6.0 ft) and weighing over 100 t (110 short tons). Before

10368-421: Was a third mudbrick vault. There has been speculation that Senusret was not necessarily buried at his pyramid, but rather in his sophisticated funerary complex in Abydos . Under this interpretation, his pyramid would be a cenotaph . The Mortuary Temple at Abydos is 30m below the surface and extends below for 180m. It is located on the base of high desert cliffs and is focused on a subterranean royal tomb. Near

10476-497: Was built north-east of the Red Pyramid of Dashur . It far surpassed those from the early twelfth dynasty in size, grandeur, and underlying religious conceptions. The complex of pyramids was constructed in 2 phases. Originally, it was designed to follow Old Kingdom pyramids which included the structure itself, an eastern pyramid temple, and a stone wall encircling the complex. The second phase included an outer brick wall which

10584-472: Was converted into a canal to link the depression with Bahr Yussef. The canal was cut to a depth of 5 m (16 ft) and given sloped banks at a ratio of 1:10 and an average inclination of 0.01° along its length. It is known as Mer-Wer or the Great Canal. The area continued to be used until 230 BC when the Lahun branch of the Nile silted up. Amenemhat III kept close watch on the inundation levels of

10692-438: Was discovered at Mersa on the Red Sea coast, by Rosanna Pirelli in 2005 that detailed an expedition to Punt during the reign of Amenemhat III. The expedition was organized by chief steward Senbef. Under his direction, two contingents were formed. The first was led by an Amenhotep and bound for Punt to acquire incense. The second led by a Nebesu was sent to the mines referred to as Bia-Punt to procure exotic metals. There were

10800-399: Was dug around the central core that was filled with stones to act as a French Drain . The limestone cladding stood in this drain, indicating that Senusret II was concerned with water damage. There were eight mastabas and one small pyramid to the north of Senusret's complex and all were within the enclosure wall. The wall had been encased in limestone that was decorated with niches, perhaps as

10908-401: Was inscribed after regnal year 10. Several expeditions to Wadi Hammamat where schist was quarried were recorded. These date to regnal years 2, 3, 19, 20 and 33. Three inscriptions from year 19 note the workforce of labourers and soldiers employed and the outcome of the efforts resulting in ten 2.6 m (8.5 ft) tall seated statues of the king being made. The statues were destined for

11016-406: Was known by his prenomen Khakheperre , which means "The Ka of Re comes into being". The king also established the first known workers' quarter in the nearby town of Senusrethotep ( Kahun ). Unlike his successor, Senusret II maintained good relations with the various nomarchs or provincial governors of Egypt who were almost as wealthy as the pharaoh. His Year 6 is attested in a wall painting from

11124-402: Was not buried here. Shortly after the completion of the pyramid superstructure, in around Amenemhat III's 15th regnal year, the substructure began to buckle with cracks appearing inside as a result of groundwater seepage. Rushed efforts were made to prevent the structure collapsing, which were successful, but just as Sneferu had decided to do with his Bent Pyramid , Amenemhat III chose to build

11232-474: Was originally buried at Amenemhat III's second pyramid at Hawara but was eventually moved to her own pyramid after an early death. The Egyptologist Wolfram Grajetzki contradicts this stating that she was never buried in Hawara, but had possibly outlived her father and was buried elsewhere as a result. Two other children, both of whom reigned as king, are also attributed to Amenemhat III: a son, Amenemhat IV and

11340-638: Was presumably used to date the block, rather than Year 20 of Amenemhat III. Wegner interprets this as an implication that Senusret was still alive in the first two decades of his son's reign. Wegner's hypothesis is rejected by some scholars, such as Pierre Tallet and Harco Willems; according to them, it is more likely that such a coregency never occurred, and that the Year 39 control note still refers to Amenemhat III, who may have ordered some additions to Senusret's monuments. The "Cycle of Songs in Honor of Senwosret III"

11448-428: Was put in position when the chamber was being constructed and it was open to the sky. The limestone outer cladding of the pyramid was removed by Rameses II so he could re-use the stone for his own use. He left inscriptions that he had done so. Amenemhat III Amenemhat III ( Ancient Egyptian : Ỉmn-m-hꜣt meaning 'Amun is at the forefront'), also known as Amenemhet III , was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and

11556-401: Was surrounded by 6 smaller pyramids for the royal queens. There is also an underground gallery with further burials for royal women. Here were found the treasures of Sithathor and queen Mereret . The final, seventh, pyramid served as the king's ka pyramid with a statue of himself inside for worship. There was also a southern temple, however this has since been destroyed. Senusret's pyramid

11664-419: Was then encased by 5 m (16 ft; 9.5 cu) thick, fine white Tura limestone blocks held together by wooden dove-tail pegs. The pyramid was given a base length of 105 metres (344 ft; 200 cu) that was inclined towards the apex at between 54°30′ to 57°15′50″ reaching a height of 75 m (246 ft; 143 cu) for a total volume of 274,625 m (9,698,300 cu ft). The apogee of

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