The History of Egypt Podcast

In the Valley of the Kings, Horemheb commissioned a magnificent tomb. Artistically innovative, it has one foot in the past and one in the future. This tomb introduced a new style of decoration, developed on recent trends, and reshaped the model of royal burials… Episode Details: Date: c. 1323 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. M...

Securing the halls. In the 8th year of Horemheb's reign, a royal official named Maya visited a tomb in the Valley of the Kings. He was there to inspect the burial of Thutmose IV, to ensure its security, and repair it if necessary… Episode details: Date: c.1324 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPa...

Back in the village. In regnal year 7, Horemheb's officials turn up in western Thebes (Waset). They began reorganising the village of the tomb-builders, Set-Ma'at "The Place of Truth." Doing so, the King's government created a lasting legacy in the town we call Deir el-Medina. Episode details: Date: c.1325 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/e...

On August 13th, 2022, The Guardian (UK) ran a headline "Howard Carter stole Tutankhamun’s treasure, new evidence suggests." What's going on, exactly? We dive into the new information and its context. Read the Guardian article here. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Learn more about your...

Horemheb vs Ay, Tutankhamun, and others. Everyone talks about Horemheb "erasing" Akhenaten. But the King demolished monuments of several rulers, and erased the names of others. What does it all mean? Episode details: Date: c. 1327 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music intro: Luke...

To build his magnificent pylons at Karnak, Horemheb dismantled other monuments. Within the masonry of these pylons, archaeologists found nearly fifty thousand blocks from temples of Akhenaten... Episode details: Date: c.1300 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Intro music: Keith Zizza...

Horemheb at Karnak (Part 2). There are secrets beneath the sand of Karnak. Horemheb's architects significantly changed the temple's landscape. In some cases, they even relocated older buildings, dismantling and moving them piece-by-piece... Episode details: Date: c. 1329 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donatio...

Horemheb at Karnak (Part 1). Before his ascent, Horemheb had managed building projects for Tutankhamun. Now, as pharaoh, Horemheb went all out. He invested in one of the largest building sprees Karnak would ever see. His monuments continue to define this temple... Episode details: Date: c.1329 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast....

Karnak had experienced a tumultuous time, in the three decades preceding Horemheb's reign... Dates: c.1362 - 1300 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music interludes: Keith Zizza, Ancient Lyric, and Hathor Systrum.   Select Bibliography: E. Blyth, Karnak: Evolution of a Temple (New Y...

Queen Mutnodjmet is a curious case. For some scholars, she may be the lost sister of Nefertiti. This hypothesis has kicked around for over 100 years. Why can’t we resolve it? Episode details: Date: c.1330 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music: "Hymn to Hathor," by Bettina Joy de G...

Revisionist history in the age of pharaohs. King Horemheb (“Horus in Celebration”) came to power in unusual circumstances. To justify his rule, the new pharaoh set about “retelling” his origins. In a lengthy story, Horemheb cast himself as one chosen by the gods, and destined to rule… Episode details: Date: c. 1330 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patr...

The Coronation of King Hor-em-heb. A few months after he took power, Egypt's new pharaoh Horemheb ("Horus in Celebration") celebrated his rule. It was a magnificent party...  Episode details: Date: c.1330 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Logo: Horemheb's royal names, from his tomb...

Inheritance and vengeance. King Ay had his own plans for the succession. He promoted his relative, Nakht-Min, to great power and prominence. But when Ay died, Nakhtmin found himself at odds with Egypt's mighty general, Horemheb. What would happen, to the feuding leaders? Episode details: Date: c.1330 BCE (approximate). Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patre...

Check out Casting Through Ancient Greece, a chronological deep dive on the world of the Aegean. From the earliest ages, through epic tales and archaeological discovery, Casting Greece takes you on a wonderful journey. Enjoy this teaser trailer, from a recent episode. And learn more at https://castingthroughancientgreece.com/ and https://twitter.com/CastingGreece Learn more about your ad choices. V...

A tale in two parts. The elderly pharaoh, Kheper-kheperu-Ra Ay, probably died in his fourth or fifth year of power (c. 1331 / 1330 BCE). Officially, his reign was short. But in the big picture, Ay's influence lasted decades. As a courtier, under Akhenaten and Tutankhamun, Ay participated in government and royal affairs for many years. This means we have abundant records for the man and his career,...

Building Legacies. It is easy to overlook Ay, as a minor figure in the history of ancient Egypt. However, when we step back, and view his entire career (including pre-royal achievements), we can see things more clearly. As pharaoh, Ay continued many projects started under Tutankhamun. But since Ay had been a major advisor / courtier for that king, we can recognise these projects as part of a large...

Keeping up with the Kadeshians. In the past, historians thought the Egyptian government was passive (or even "pacifist") in the days of Akhenaten, Tutankhamun, and Ay. However, newer research has proved this wrong. We now have a fragmentary, but fascinating picture of warfare and diplomacy, taking place through Canaan and Syria. The town of Kadesh, on the Orontes River, is prominent. Once a vassal...

The servant ascends. Considering his background, it's not surprising that King Ay turned out to be quite "conservative." His early deeds continued the policies of Tutankhamun (a regime in which Ay had actively participated). The new pharaoh completed one of Tutankhamun's temples (the Ḥwt-Neb-kheperu-Ra in Waset/Thebes), and evoked Tutankhamun in his art. Ay also started his own monuments, at Akhmi...

A difficult decision. Events in this period are murky. But if Ankhesenamun was the "Daḫamunzu" of Hittite record, then her attempt to find a new husband (of royal blood) had failed. So, she would have to accept a "servant." Whom would she choose? Chapter 2 begins 00:24:10 Episode Details: Date: c. 1334 BCE (debated). King: none (hopefully just temporary). Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. S...

He said, she said. Around 1334 BCE (give or take), the King of Hatti received a curious message. While on campaign, King Suppiluliuma got word that Egypt's pharaoh (someone called "Nib-ḫuru-riya") had died. He had no son, and Egypt's ruling lady (daḫamunzu, or tA-ḥmt-nsw, the "King's Great Wife") needed assistance. The Queen sent a message: would Suppiluliuma help her, and Egypt? Strange events we...

Face-to-face with the legends. Christina Riggs is a Professor (History of Visual Culture) at Durham University. In 2021, her book Treasured: How Tutankhamun Shaped a Century took a broader view of the tomb and its discovery than most books on the subject. Her discussion helps us review and revisit older myths or assumptions, and encourage new perspectives on Egyptology's most famous discovery. Pro...

An enigmatic icon. Dr. Joyce Tyldesley returns for her second interview with The History of Egypt Podcast! We spoke about her recent book Tutankhamun: Pharaoh. Icon. Enigma. and the legacy of the discovery, including aspects of its excavation and significance. We also got into some random topics including Philomena Cunk, Scandinavian Noir shows, and Strictly Come Dancing. Enjoy! Dr. Joyce Tyldesle...

Recorded 2022. Tutankhamun, Mummies, and Murder, oh my! I sat down with Dr. Bob Brier to discuss the Tomb of Tutankhamun, and the legacy of this important discovery. We also chatted about Dr. Brier's work in Egyptology, including his experiment in mummifying a human for scientific research. Finally, we touched on some older works including his "Murder of Tutankhamun" hypothesis and the Great Pyram...

The Annexe and End of Excavation. Howard Carter uncovered the tomb of King Tutankhamun in November 1922. He would continue labouring in the monument until 1927, and the final conservation of objects would finish in 1932. Over these ten years of work, Carter tackled many challenges, some of which proved insurmountable. In the end, his labour, and the story of Tutankhamun's burial, stand as a testam...

Treasured Heirlooms. East of the Burial Chamber, in Tutankhamun's tomb, the per hedj ("Treasury") contained a smorgasbord of beautiful objects. Some of these were sacred, like the canopic vessels for Tutankhamun's organs. Others were symbolic, connecting the pharaoh with great gods like Osiris. And still others were curious, including some "heirlooms" from earlier rulers and generations...  Episod...