Her body has never been found. She and her husband established the cult of Aten, the sun god, and promoted Egyptian artwork that was radically different from its predecessors. Nefertiti was a queen of Egypt and wife of King Akhenaton, who played a prominent role in changing Egypt's traditional polytheistic religion to one that was monotheistic, worshipping the sun god known as Aton. Artwork from the day depicts the couple and their daughters in an unusually naturalistic and individualistic style, more so than from earlier eras. She wears her own unique headdress—a tall, straight-edged, flat-topped blue crown. Her name means, `the beautiful one has come’ and, because of the world-famous bust created by the sculptor Thutmose (discovered in 1912 CE), she is … Hatshepsut was the longest-reigning female pharaoh in Egypt, ruling for 20 years in the 15th century B.C. Some evidence suggests that she hailed from the town Akhmim and is the daughter or niece of a high official named Ay. What Is The Difference Between “It’s” And “Its”?

Nefertiti (c. 1370 - c. 1336 BCE) was the wife of the pharaoh Akhenaten of the 18th Dynasty of Egypt. Nefertiti’s body has never been discovered. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. But the burial in the Valley of the Kings confirms that at least one of the Amarna burials was reinterred at Thebes during Tutankhamen’s reign. We strive for accuracy and fairness.

Some scholars believe she died, while others speculate she was elevated to the status of co-regent—equal in power to the pharaoh—and began to dress herself as a man. The party really started to rock when Willie Nelson and Queen Nefertiti began pouring shots. The stories surrounding Cleopatra's tragic life inspired a Shakespeare play. There were several open-air temples in the city, and at the center stood the palace. However, the evidence is by no means conclusive, and there is no written evidence to confirm her political status.

The exact date when Nefertiti married Amenhotep III's son, the future pharaoh Amenhotep IV, is unknown. Nefertiti bore six daughters within 10 years of her marriage, the elder three being born at Thebes, the younger three at Tell el-Amarna. Little is known about the origins of Nefertiti, but her legacy of beauty and power continue to intrigue scholars today. As queen of ancient Egypt, Cleopatra is one of the most famous female rulers in history. Soon after Akhenaton’s 12th regnal year, one of the princesses died, three disappeared (and are also presumed to have died), and Nefertiti vanished. The old state temples were closed and the court transferred to a purpose-built capital city, Akhetaton (Amarna). Early Egyptologists, misunderstanding the textual evidence recovered from the Maru-Aten sun temple at Amarna, deduced that Nefertiti had separated from Akhenaton and had retired to live either in the north palace at Amarna or in Thebes. Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012. fl. Nefertiti was perhaps one of the most powerful women ever to have ruled. By the end of Akhenaton’s fifth regnal year, the Aton had become Egypt’s dominant national god. https://www.biography.com/royalty/nefertiti. Nefertiti and the pharaoh took an active role in establishing the Aten cult, a religious mythology which defined Aten, the sun, as the most important god and the only one worthy of worship in Egypt's polytheistic canon.

If this proves true, it would be an astounding archaeological discovery and the most significant since Howard Carter's 1922 uncovering of Tutankhamun. “Epidemic” vs. “Pandemic” vs. “Endemic”: What Do These Terms Mean? Absentee Ballot vs. Mail-In Ballot: Is There A Difference? Amarna was abandoned soon after Akhenaton’s death, and Nefertiti was forgotten until, in 1912, a German archaeological mission led by Ludwig Borchardt discovered a portrait bust of Nefertiti lying in the ruins of the Amarna workshop of the sculptor Thutmose. Others have suggested that she outlived her husband, took the name Smenkhkare, and ruled alone as female king before handing the throne to Tutankhamen. Although nothing is known of Nefertiti’s parentage, she did have a younger sister, Mutnodjmet. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. The reason for her disappearance is unknown. The simplest inference is that Nefertiti also died, but there is no record of her death and no evidence that she was ever buried in the Amarna royal tomb. Their daughter Ankhesenamun would eventually marry her half brother Tutankhamun, the future ruler of Egypt. Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription. Nefertiti bore six daughters within 10 years of her marriage, two of whom became queens of Egypt. In August 2015, British archaeologist Nicholas Reeves made a discovery that could reveal the mysteries of Nefertiti once and for all. Here Nefertiti continued to play an important religious role, worshipping alongside her husband and serving as the female element in the divine triad formed by the god Aton, the king Akhenaton, and his queen.

Nefertiti’s parentage is unrecorded, but, as her name translates as “A Beautiful Woman Has Come,” early Egyptologists believed that she must have been a princess from Mitanni (Syria). They apparently ruled together from 1353 to 1336 B.C. relating to or being a people who are the original, earliest known inhabitants of a region, or … characterized by cleverness or originality of invention or construction.

This ancient Egyptian queen's name would be best saved for a cat. Updates? The king and his head queen seem to be inseparable in reliefs, often shown riding in chariots together and even kissing in public. It is believed she was 15 when they wed, which may have been before Akhenaten assumed the throne. Pharaoh Thutmose III was the warrior king of Egypt’s 18th and largest dynasty.

By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. 16 names similar to Nefertiti These 16 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Nefertiti. Some historians, having considered her reliefs and statuary, believe that Nefertiti may have acted as queen regnant—her husband’s coruler rather than his consort.

characterized by cleverness or originality of invention or construction. Nefertiti and the royal family appeared on private devotional stelae and on the walls of nonroyal tombs, and images of Nefertiti stood at the four corners of her husband’s sarcophagus. Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020, Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition Omissions? early 14th century b.c., Egyptian queen: wife of Amenhotep IV. “Affect” vs. “Effect”: Use The Correct Word Every Time. While studying scans made of Tutankhamun's tomb, he noticed some wall markings that could indicate a hidden doorway. Corrections? Nefertiti changed her name to Neferneferuaten-Nefertiti, meaning "beautiful are the beauties of Aten, a beautiful woman has come," as a show of her absolutism for the new religion. Had she died at Amarna, it seems inconceivable that she would not have been buried in the Amarna royal tomb. The Elizabethan era is named for her. carried on abroad, or with other countries. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Representations of Nefertiti with her six daughters suggest that she was also considered a living fertility goddess. She is best known for her moral support to the British people during WWII and her longevity. In the Theban temple known as Hwt-Benben (“Mansion of the Benben Stone”; the benben was a cult object associated with solar ritual), Nefertiti played a more prominent role, usurping kingly privileges in order to serve as a priest and offer to the Aton.

In the early 21st century attention has focused on the “Younger Lady” found in the tomb of Amenhotep II, although it is now accepted that this body is almost certainly too young to be Nefertiti. An elegant portrait bust of Nefertiti now in Berlin is … Her name is Egyptian and means "a beautiful woman has come." A bust of Nefertiti is one of the most iconic symbols of Egypt. 10 Types Of Nouns Used In The English Language. Her husband went to great lengths to display her as an equal. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Nonetheless, she played an important religious role, worshipping the god Aton alongside her husband. The bust went on display at a museum in Berlin in the 1920s and immediately attracted worldwide attention, causing Nefertiti to become one of the most recognizable and, despite a missing left eye, most beautiful female figures from the ancient world. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! They sported fashionable helmets and choker-style ribbed neckbands, like something Nefertiti would have worn. Anastasia was the daughter of the last Russian tsar, Nicholas II. Nefertiti, whose name means "a beautiful woman has come," was the queen of Egypt and wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten during the 14th century B.C. Nefertiti’s parentage is unrecorded, but there is strong circumstantial evidence to suggest that she was the Egyptian-born daughter of the courtier Ay, a maternal uncle of her husband, Akhenaton. Other theories have suggested that she was born in a foreign country, possibly Syria.

The earliest images of Nefertiti come from the Theban tombs of the royal butler Parennefer and the vizier Ramose, where she is shown accompanying her husband. It is believed that the king and queen were priests and that it was only through them that ordinary citizens could obtain access to Aten.