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Princess Meritaten, from el-Amarna, ca. 1365-47 BCE, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen (1) (36024093800) (retouched)

Key Information

Meritaten, also spelled Merytaten, Meritaton or Meryetaten (Ancient Egyptian: mrii.t-itn)[1] (14th century BC), 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, performing official roles for her father and becoming the Great Royal Wife to Pharaoh Smenkhkare, who may have been a brother or son of Akhenaten. Meritaten also may have served as pharaoh in her own right under the name Ankhkheperure Neferneferuaten.[2]

Family

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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.[3] Meritaten is mentioned in diplomatic letters, by the name Mayati.[2] She is mentioned in a letter from Abimilki of Tyre. The reference usually is thought to date to the period when Meritaten's position at court became more important, during the latter part of the reign of Akhenaten. It is possible, however, that the letter refers to the birth of Meritaten.[4]

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.[2][5] 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.[4]

Biography

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Early years in Thebes

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Meritaten 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.[4] Meritaten is depicted beside her mother Nefertiti in reliefs carved into the Hut-Benben.[5] 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.[4]

Amarna princess

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Amarna Princess - Museum in Berlin
Alabaster sunken relief depicting Akhenaten, Nefertiti, and daughter Meritaten, with early Aten cartouches on king's arm and chest, from Amarna, Egypt, Eighteenth Dynasty, The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, London

In year five of her father Akhenaten's reign, Meritaten appears on the boundary stelae designating the boundaries of the new capital to which her father moved the royal family and his administrators.[2][5] 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 on those depicting official ceremonies, as well.[2]

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.[6]

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.[2]

Smenkhare and Meritaten shown in the tomb of Meryre II

Great Royal Wife

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Inscription mentioning Akhenaten, Neferneferuaten, and Meritaten, from the tomb of Tutankhamen

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.[7] The chronology of the final years of the Amarna Period is unclear, however 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.[5] 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.[8]

Meritaten is mentioned on gold daisies that decorated a garment found in Tutankhamen's tomb. She also is 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.[7]

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.[9] 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.

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".[10]

Death and burial

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The texts of a boundary stele mention that Meritaten was meant to be buried at Akhet-Aten (modern Amarna).[5]

Let a tomb be made for me in the eastern mountain of Akhetaten. Let my burial be made in it, in the millions of jubilees which the Aten, my father, has decreed for me. Let the burial of the Great King's Wife, Nefertiti, be made in it, in the millions of years which the Aten, my father, decreed for her. Let the burial of the King's Daughter, Meritaten, [be made] in it, in these millions of years.[11]

The royal tomb in Amarna was used for the burial of Meketaten, Tiye, and Akhenaten, and likely was closed after the death and burial of Akhenaten. After that, Meritaten's burial may have been planned for one of the other royal tombs in Amarna.

References

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Meritaten

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Meritaten was an ancient Egyptian royal of the Eighteenth Dynasty, known as the eldest daughter of Pharaoh and his principal queen, , during the in the mid-14th century BCE. Born early in 's reign, she featured prominently in the era's monumental art and inscriptions, often depicted alongside her parents in scenes emphasizing the royal family's devotion to the sun disk. A dedicated sunshade in 's temple complex at , adorned with reliefs and inscriptions naming her, underscores her elevated status as a favored . Later evidence from tomb inscriptions links her to the title of , associated with the enigmatic pharaoh , indicating a marriage that positioned her at the center of the dynasty's turbulent succession amid the religious and political upheavals following 's death. Her role highlights the prominence of royal women in Amarna ideology, though direct evidence for further independent authority remains limited to attested titles and depictions rather than unambiguous records of rule.

Family and Origins

Parentage and Birth

Meritaten was the eldest daughter of and his . Her name, rendered in Egyptian as mry.t-ỉtn, translates to "Beloved of the ," highlighting the centrality of the Aten sun disk in the royal family's nomenclature during 's rule. She was born in the initial years of Akhenaten's reign, conventionally dated from circa 1353 BCE to 1336 BCE. This timing is inferred from her portrayal as an infant or young child in early monumental reliefs at the temple complex in Thebes, where the royal family is shown participating in worship prior to the establishment of Akhetaten as the capital. Further confirmation of her parentage and status as the firstborn appears in the boundary stelae (stelae U and others) erected at Akhetaten around 5, which list the royal family members and affirm Meritaten's position without reference to prior siblings. These inscriptions, carved directly under Akhenaten's oversight, provide primary epigraphic of her lineage, distinct from later interpretive reconstructions.

Siblings and Royal Household

Meritaten was the eldest of six daughters born to Pharaoh Akhenaten and Great Royal Wife Nefertiti, with her sisters identified as , Ankhesenpaaten, , , and Setepenre. These daughters are attested in multiple Amarna-period inscriptions and reliefs, where they appear alongside their parents in familial groupings, but no sons are recorded from the Akhenaten-Nefertiti union, reflecting the Eighteenth Dynasty's pattern of limited male heirs and reliance on female lines for dynastic continuity. In Amarna art, the royal household is frequently depicted in processions and worship scenes at Akhetaten, where the daughters play prominent roles, often shown receiving the life-giving rays of the Aten disk directly from their parents' hands, emphasizing the family's divine mediation in Atenist theology. Such representations, carved on temple walls and private altars circa 1350 BCE, underscore the elevated status of royal women and children in propaganda that portrayed the household as a cohesive unit embodying the Aten's favor, contrasting with earlier dynastic norms that prioritized male succession. The absence of direct male heirs from and necessitated endogamous strategies for succession, as evidenced by DNA analysis of Tutankhamun's tomb remains (KV62, excavated 1922), which confirms his parents were full siblings—likely and an unidentified sister—resulting in genetic defects like and reduced fertility that plagued the dynasty's final generations. This , a causal factor in the Eighteenth Dynasty's genetic decline, maintained bloodline purity but amplified hereditary pathologies, with Meritaten's position as eldest daughter positioning her centrally in efforts to preserve royal continuity amid these constraints.

Early Life and Amarna Transition

Childhood in Thebes

Meritaten, the eldest daughter of and Queen , was born in Thebes during the initial years of her father's reign, likely in regnal year 1 or 2, circa 1352 BCE, shortly after the royal marriage. Her name, meaning "She who is beloved of the ," reflects the early emphasis on Aten worship in the royal family, aligning with 's religious reforms that began in Thebes before the capital's relocation. As an infant, she resided in the royal palace at Thebes, part of a court that maintained continuities from the preceding reign of , including elaborate administrative and cultic structures, though increasingly oriented toward the cult. Archaeological evidence for Meritaten's childhood is primarily derived from reliefs in the early Aten temples at , such as the Gempaaten ("Sunken Aten"), constructed in the first five years of Akhenaten's rule using standardized talatat blocks. These scenes frequently portray her as a small or toddler standing or being held by her parents, receiving life-giving rays from the disc in ritual offerings and family processions, underscoring the integration of royal progeny into the new solar theology. Over 25,000 such blocks have been recovered and studied, revealing Meritaten's repeated appearances alongside , though her sister appears far less often, indicating Meritaten's prominence even at a young age. The scarcity of surviving pre-Amarna artifacts stems from systematic dismantling and reuse of the temples under subsequent rulers like , who repurposed talatat blocks as fill in Karnak's structures, obliterating much of the original context. No inscriptions or depictions suggest personal activities for Meritaten beyond her symbolic role in these monumental scenes, consistent with the agency of royal children in Eighteenth Dynasty court life.

Relocation to Akhetaten

In the fifth year of Akhenaten's reign (c. 1346 BCE), boundary stelae were erected around Akhetaten to delineate the sacred precincts of the new capital, explicitly dedicating the site to the Aten and prohibiting burials or building outside royal authorization. These stelae feature Meritaten as the sole named royal daughter in the earlier proclamation texts and scenes, appearing with Akhenaten and Nefertiti, which attests to her established status and inclusion in the royal family's translocation from Thebes to this isolated Aten-centric settlement. A year 8 colophon on select stelae reaffirmed the boundaries, underscoring the ongoing commitment to the site's sanctity amid the court's physical relocation. The relocation entailed the logistical transport of the dynastic household, including young princesses like Meritaten, to Akhetaten's undeveloped terrain east of the , symbolizing a rupture from traditional Theban religious centers in favor of Aten . Early Amarna-period artifacts, such as talatat blocks from the site, depict royal barges in riverine processions, reflecting the maritime conveyance of the and its isolation in the new capital's ritual landscape. Meritaten's presence in these foundational contexts highlights her integration into the experiment's symbolic framework, where royal progeny embodied the Aten's favor. Akhetaten's urban layout comprised a central city with palaces, temples, and administrative zones, extending southward to complexes like Maru-Aten, a pavilion and garden ensemble near the river. Fragments from Maru-Aten bear images and inscriptions linked to , suggesting her association with this ritual space, though originally constructed for another royal figure whose names were usurped. This southern extension facilitated processional and cultic activities, embedding the princess within the capital's Atenist topography without evidence of dedicated personal residences.

Roles and Titles in Akhenaten's Reign

Princess of the Royal Court

Meritaten, as 's eldest daughter, held the title of King's Daughter and was prominently featured in Amarna-period art depicting royal worship of the . Her name, translating to "Beloved of the Aten," underscored the family's devotion to the central to 's religious reforms. These representations positioned her alongside her parents in scenes, emphasizing the royal court's focus on Aten adoration during the mid-reign years around 1340–1336 BCE. In noble tombs and associated structures at Akhetaten, such as the residence shrine of Panehesy, Meritaten appears with and making offerings to the , illustrating her integration into court ceremonies. Similar depictions occur in artifacts like heads and limestone statuettes portraying her with the , symbolizing her status in ritual contexts. Reliefs, including those showing the royal family receiving life from the 's rays, highlight her role in these symbolic acts without indicating elevated titles beyond her princely ones at this stage. Her frequent visibility in such art, comparable to other Eighteenth Dynasty princesses groomed for court prominence, reflects participation in seasonal festivals and light rites at sites like the Maru-Aten complex, where she is shown beneath the 's rays in offering scenes. These elements collectively demonstrate Meritaten's standard duties as a in the royal court, centered on familial piety toward the Aten.

Elevation to Great Royal Wife

Meritaten's titulary expanded in the later phase of Akhenaten's reign to include the title Great Royal Wife (ḥmt-nswt-wrt), signifying her assumption of the chief consort role previously held by Nefertiti. This shift is chronologically linked to regnal years 12–14, following Nefertiti's reduced prominence in monumental and administrative records after year 12, potentially indicating her death, demotion, or withdrawal from public duties—though a quarry graffito at Dayr Abū Ḥinnis attests Nefertiti's continued status as royal consort alongside Akhenaten in year 16. Inscriptional evidence for Meritaten's elevated title derives primarily from private tomb decorations and administrative artifacts of the period, such as potential wine dockets referencing royal estates under her oversight, reflecting official recognition of her new standing in Atenist court protocols. Boundary stelae updates from Akhetaten's founding era (initially year 5) were supplemented in later years to incorporate evolving royal hierarchies, underscoring Meritaten's integration into core cultic representations. This promotion aligns with pragmatic dynastic imperatives to sustain Atenist legitimacy amid heir uncertainties, employing female royal agency to bridge generational gaps in the cult's transmission—evident in precedents like Hatshepsut's strategic titular expansions during II's reign to stabilize succession before her pharaonic phase. Such maneuvers prioritized causal continuity of the solar theology over traditional male , positioning Meritaten as a pivotal figure in maintaining the regime's ideological coherence without immediate male successors.

Marriage, Succession, and Controversies

Association with Smenkhkare

Meritaten's association with is attested through inscriptions in the of Meryre II (TA 4), where she appears as the of Ankhkheperure during a co-regency with circa year 13 of his reign (ca. 1340 BCE). The scenes depict the royal pair performing rituals together, emphasizing Meritaten's elevated status alongside the king. Further evidence comes from wine dockets discovered at , Tutankhamun's tomb (KV 62), and , dated to year 1 of 's and naming as his consort in the of royal vintages from the "House of Smenkhkare." These labels, inscribed on jar fragments, pair the throne name Ankhkheperure with Smenkhkare's nomen and 's titles, indicating her role in official production and distribution. Calcite jars, including one from Tutankhamun's tomb, bear dual inscriptions juxtaposing "Ankhkheperure " and "Meritaten," suggesting a formal union designed to secure dynastic continuity within the Atenist framework. Such artifacts imply the marriage served to legitimize Smenkhkare's position, potentially stabilizing rule amid Akhenaten's later years, though the scarcity of monuments and attestation limited to year 1 point to underlying challenges or brevity in the arrangement's effectiveness.

Theories of Incestuous Marriage and Co-Regency

Meritaten's designation as alongside , attested in scenes from the tomb of Meryre II where they appear together dispensing rewards from the Window of Appearances, has prompted theories of an incestuous marriage to preserve the royal bloodline's purity, a practice normalized in the Eighteenth Dynasty as evidenced by the sibling union of and his parents and an unidentified sister. However, no inscriptions explicitly confirm 's kinship to Meritaten or , limiting support for incest beyond dynastic precedent; juxtapositions on wine jars and linen fragments from 's tomb indicate spousal status but not biological relation. Speculations that represented himself in a symbolic or literal father-daughter with Meritaten, inferred from overlapping prenomens and her rapid elevation to chief consort after Nefertiti's apparent sidelining around regnal year 12, are critiqued for relying on title reuse common in co-regencies rather than direct proof, with restoration-era erasures potentially exaggerating Amarna "scandals" to justify . Proponents cite endogamous imperatives for divine kingship continuity, yet empirical data favors as a distinct figure, possibly 's by a secondary wife like , rendering any half-sibling at most without genetic corroboration. Alternative identifications, such as a foreign Mitanni prince, lack inscriptional or diplomatic backing, as emphasize internal succession over alliances at this juncture. Regarding co-regency, hypotheses posit Meritaten assumed the throne as the female pharaoh Ankhkheperure following Smenkhkare's brief rule or 's , evidenced by the throne name's feminine variant Ankhetkheperure and epithets like "Akhet-en-hyes" ("effective for her husband"), linking to and implying a widow's regency. Egyptologist Marc Gabolde supports this via cartouches originally for overwritten with 's names on artifacts, arguing chronological fit and Meritaten's prior elevation exclude , whose attestations cease earlier without matching regnal epithets. Critics counter that graffito evidence from Dayr Abu Hinnis in year 16 confirms 's survival, potentially as , though mismatched maternal references and the need for rapid succession to weaken this against Meritaten's documented heirship role. These views underscore causal dynastic logic prioritizing eldest daughter's legitimacy over speculative revivals of prior queens.

Evidence from Inscriptions and Artifacts

The tomb of Meryre II (TA3) at Amarna provides key iconographic evidence of Meritaten's role as consort to Smenkhkare, featuring a scene on the south wall depicting the pair at the Window of Appearances, where Smenkhkare rewards the tomb owner with gold collars while Meritaten stands beside him, identified by her cartouche and the epithet ḥmt-nṯr-wrt ("Great Royal Wife"). This unfinished relief, executed in black ink outlines, dates to the brief reign following Akhenaten's death, as indicated by the royal names and the absence of Akhenaten's prenomen. A block originally from Magna (modern Ashmunein), now lost but documented through early 20th-century drawings, bears partial cartouches of nfr-ḫprw-rʿ and Meritaten as his , confirming her elevated status in his court. This artifact, recovered from reused Amarna-period material, aligns with the timeline of Smenkhkare's rule, approximately year 1 after Akhenaten's demise around 1336 BCE. Further inscriptions from Ashmunein mention Mryt-Ꜹtn-tꜣ-šr.t ("Meritaten the Younger"), described as the "King's " born to , who is titled ", whom he loves," suggesting progeny from her union with and supporting the legitimacy of their association. These textual fragments, dated to the post-Amarna transition, contrast with the deliberate erasures of Atenist names under subsequent rulers, preserving rare attestations of Meritaten's marital and maternal roles.

Later Attestations and Decline

Mentions Under Tutankhamun

Meritaten's name appears on artifacts recovered from 's tomb (KV62) in the Valley of the Kings, excavated in 1922, signaling limited but persistent acknowledgment of her royal status amid the early post-Amarna restoration of traditional cults like worship. Gold daisies inscribed with her name adorned a garment among the burial assemblage, reflecting residual prestige from her Amarna-era roles. A for garments, also from the tomb, features Meritaten's name alongside cartouches of (Neferkheperure-Waenre) and Ankhkheperure, the latter associated with the brief successor regime, which underscores continuity of Amarna-period materials into Tutankhamun's preparations despite the regime's pivot to orthodox theology around year 2 of his (c. 1332 BCE). These inscriptions indicate selective tolerance rather than outright erasure during Tutankhamun's rule (c. 1332–1323 BCE), as Atenist-linked figures faced incomplete proscription; full intensified under successors Ay and , who targeted monuments more aggressively due to ideological opposition. Evidence of familial continuity appears in marriage patterns, such as Tutankhamun's union with , another daughter, potentially echoing Meritaten's prior elevated positions without direct attestation.

Erasure During Restoration

Following the death of Tutankhamun around 1323 BC, Horemheb (r. 1319–1292 BC) initiated a campaign of damnatio memoriae targeting Amarna-period royals, including chiseling out names and images from public monuments at Akhetaten to excise their legacy. This effort extended to Meritaten's attestations, where her cartouches and titles—linked to Atenist iconography—were systematically defaced in royal buildings and boundary stelae, as evidenced by excavation records from Amarna showing mutilated reliefs of the royal family. Ramesses II (r. 1279–1213 BC) intensified these persecutions, repurposing Amarna blocks as fill for traditional temples like Karnak, further burying and obscuring surviving traces of figures such as Meritaten. Incomplete erasure occurred in peripheral, private contexts, where Meritaten's name persists in unaltered form on noble stelae and small sculptures from non-royal tombs, such as those depicting family devotions. These survivals, documented in digs, indicate targeted defacement prioritized pharaonic and core Atenist symbols over secondary figures like princesses, whose mentions in escaped full scrutiny amid the scale of the backlash. The underlying rationale stemmed from pragmatic restoration of the priesthood's authority, requiring the suppression of -associated lineages to prevent symbolic continuity; prominent women like Meritaten, elevated as and tied to worship through titles such as "Beloved of the Aten," posed risks to this reconsolidation by embodying the regime's familial and cultic innovations. This selective intensity preserved scant private evidence while effectively nullifying her public historical presence, aligning with broader efforts to rewrite the 18th Dynasty narrative under orthodox theology.

Death, Burial, and Legacy

Proposed Death and Burial Sites

Meritaten's death is estimated to have occurred around 1330 BCE, shortly after the end of Smenkhkare's brief reign and during the early transition to Tutankhamun's rule, based on her last attestations in Amarna-period inscriptions ceasing thereafter. No , , or canopic jars definitively attributable to her have been discovered, leaving her burial unconfirmed. Archaeological proposals center on planned interments at Akhetaten (modern ), as stipulated in Akhenaten's boundary stelae, which explicitly decree: "Let [the burial of] the King's Daughter, Meritaten, [be made] in it, in these millions of years," referring to a designated within the city's eastern mountains. The primary candidate at is the unfinished Royal Tomb (TA 26), intended for and family members, which contains anomalies such as side chambers possibly adapted for secondary burials, including those of and potentially other royals like . However, excavations yielded no inscriptions, artifacts, or remains linking Meritaten specifically to TA 26; the tomb's burial chamber aligns more closely with 's interment, evidenced by fragmented pieces bearing his names, while the site's hasty abandonment ca. 1332 BCE disrupted completion of ancillary royal tombs. An alternative proposal involves TA 29, a lesser-explored side tomb speculated for and Meritaten based on in the Royal , though it remains unexcavated and lacks direct epigraphic evidence. Pros of an burial include chronological fit if Meritaten died during the city's active phase, paralleling 's documented depicted in the Royal Tomb; cons encompass the lack of finished for females beyond 's probable niche and the subsequent and looting post-abandonment, contrasting with identifiable burials like 's. Theban reburial theories posit relocation to the Valley of the Kings during Tutankhamun's restoration of traditional cults, aligning with the transfer of Amarna royals like Akhenaten's remains to KV 55, but no KV features Meritaten's , canopic fragments, or fetal remains suggestive of her attested in Meryre II's scenes. against Theban attribution includes the absence of draft or unfinished sarcophagi inscribed for her, unlike contemporaries; pros hinge on the era's systematic reinterments to secure Amarna lineage continuity, yet this remains speculative without material corroboration. Ongoing debates emphasize that 's non-traditional Atenist burials prioritized unfinished rock-cut chambers over equipped sarcophagi, complicating identification amid post-Amarna erasures.

Archaeological Significance and Ongoing Debates

Meritaten's archaeological significance lies in the Amarna-period inscriptions and reliefs that document her elevated status within Akhenaten's court, providing evidence of female participation in Atenist rituals and potential succession strategies. She is prominently featured in reliefs at the Maru-Aten temple-estate, depicted offering to the alongside her parents, which highlights her role in propagating the new religious cult. Artifacts bearing her name, including pottery stamps and a jar from a recently discovered New Kingdom town possibly linked to Akhenaten's constructions, further attest to her prominence. These materials are crucial for understanding the dynamics of royal inheritance during a period of ideological upheaval, as they suggest grooming of daughters for high office amid scarce male heirs. Boundary stelae at Akhet-Aten outline the sacred city's limits and include references to prepared for the royal family, implying a designated for Meritaten in the royal wadi, though the site was abandoned before completion. Her name's appearance on usurped items originally belonging to indicates a deliberate elevation in status late in Akhenaten's reign, possibly signaling co-regency preparations. Ongoing debates revolve around her post-Akhenaten role, particularly her depicted union with in the tomb of Meryre II, where she holds the title , interpreted as a political alliance to stabilize the . Egyptologists dispute 's and identity, with some proposing a male co-regent married to Meritaten for legitimacy, while others, including Chris Naunton, suggest Nefertiti assuming the name in a symbolic pairing with her daughter to evoke divine unity rather than literal . Theories persist that Meritaten ruled briefly as Neferneferuaten or the Manethenian Akenkeres, based on her titles like "Mistress of the Royal House" in correspondence and continuity in iconography after Akhenaten's death around 1336 BCE. Proponents such as Marc Gabolde link her to this female , citing the absence of other candidates and her prior elevation. Her unlocated burial—likely disturbed during Horemheb's restorations—exacerbates these uncertainties, with no mummy confirmed despite genetic studies on related royals yielding no matches. These controversies reflect broader challenges in , including the era's partial erasure, which obscures causal links in the dynasty's collapse.

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  26. https://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/maru-aten.htm
  27. https://egypt-museum.com/head-of-princess-probably-meritaten/
  28. https://egyptsites.wordpress.com/tag/panehesy/
  29. https://egypt-museum.com/amarna-princess/
  30. https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/objects/3699
  31. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286241550_The_Year_16_graffito_of_Akhenaten_in_Dayr_Abu_Hinnis_A_Contribution_to_the_Study_of_the_Later_Years_of_Nefertiti
  32. https://brill.com/display/book/edcoll/9789047429883/Bej.9789004176447.i-240_004.pdf
  33. https://zenodo.org/records/7755224
  34. https://ancientegyptianhistory.wordpress.com/2015/06/26/introducing-ankhkheperure-mery-neferkheperure-mery-waenre-mery-aten-neferneferuaten/
  35. https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:528049/fulltext01.pdf
  36. https://www.academia.edu/38193142/EVIDENCE_FOR_LENGTH_OF_REIGNS_OF_AKHENATENS_SUCCESSORS
  37. https://www.academia.edu/96527297/A_DESCRIPTION_OF_ALL_FINDS_WITH_THIS_NAME
  38. https://ancientegyptonline.co.uk/smenkhare/
  39. http://artisticlicenseorwhyitrustnoone.blogspot.com/2020/04/amarna-kings-and-incest-in-egyptian.html
  40. https://www.crystalinks.com/Neferneferuaten.html
  41. https://www.academia.edu/108169706/Response_to_Nicholas_Reeves_The_phantom_Temple_of_Ankhkheperure_in_Thebes
  42. https://www.academia.edu/43493996/SMENKHKARE_EVIDENCE_OF_HIS_KINGSHIP_BETWEEN_AKHENATENS_AND_TUTANKHAMUNS
  43. https://egypt-museum.com/kiya-usurped-by-meritaten/
  44. https://phys.org/news/2015-12-king-tut-nurse-sister-expert.html
  45. https://www.smb.museum/fileadmin/website/Museen_und_Sammlungen/Aegyptisches_Museum_Papyrussammlung/02_Sammeln_Forschen/Sammlung/Nofretete/Katalog/amarna-catalogue-english_low-res_8MB.pdf
  46. https://www.amarnaproject.com/our-work/material-culture/statuary/
  47. https://www.academia.edu/432161/Private_Religion_at_Amarna_The_Material_Evidence
  48. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0227n3wp
  49. https://www.thecollector.com/horemheb-restored-ancient-egypt-after-the-chaos-of-amarna-kings/
  50. https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/bitstream/handle/1774.2/61052/BRYSON-DISSERTATION-2018.pdf?sequence=1
  51. https://www.amarnaproject.com/amarna-the-place/boundary-stelae/
  52. https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/ancient-egyptians/major-ancient-egyptian-town-discovered-and-it-has-a-jug-stamped-with-the-name-of-nefertitis-daughter
  53. https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology-ancient-places-africa/hidden-town-ancient-egypt-0022029
  54. https://www.academia.edu/97101476/Smenkhkare
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