Monday, April 21, 2003

Horemheb a more reasonable suspect in the death of Tutankhamun

Dr. Brier has been discussing the death of Tutankamun in my audio lecture series and he thinks Tut was murdered by Aye too. However, the more I learn about Horemheb the more I think he is a more likely suspect. Although its true Aye became Pharaoh after Tut, Aye was a relatively old man (60) and, as Im sure Horemheb expected, did not live long. Today, Dr. Brier mentioned that its very curious that many of the same scenes depicted in Tuts tomb were duplicated in Ayes tomb. He mentions a scene of 12 baboons that is almost identical in both tombs. He said the style of painting is so similar hes relatively sure they were even painted by the same artist. Aye obviously wanted to be closely associated with Tut (since he could not celebrate his association with the heretic pharaoh Ahkenaten). He was even buried in a tomb began originally for King Tut near the burial of Tuts grandfather, Amenhotep III.

But, when Horemheb came to power, all evidence of the "Amarna" period were eradicated, including the reign of his predecessor, Aye. It may just have been Horemheb that was pressuring Anaksunamum to marry Aye, knowing that she would probably never produce an heir from such an old man (in their way of thinking). Who knows, perhaps she did become pregnant anyway and was murdered because of it. As a career military man, Horemheb would have been outraged by Anaksunamuns request for a new husband from the Egyptians old enemies the Hittites and Horemheb would have certainly had the military force to ambush and kill a Hittite prince protected by a large entourage. Horemheb reigned for thirty years after Aye so obviously he was a much younger man and had no way to know that he would never have an heir either.
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