
Podcast

Akhenaten (Part 4). In 1360 BCE, regnal year 3, King Nefer-kheperu-Re Amunhotep IV made some of his most startling decisions yet. Promoting the sun disc, Aten, even further, Amunho…

Akhenaten (Part 3): Revelation of a Religion. Soon after he came to power, Amunhotep IV (later Akhenaten) began to reveal his unique vision of god and the world. A remarkable amoun…

Who were the Amarna Queens? Dr. Joyce Tyldesley speaks to us about Tiye and Nefertiti, their roles in royal society, and how Egyptologists know of them. Learn more about Dr. Joyc…

Or, the Life Aquatic with Gold Scarabs... Around 1325 BCE (estimates vary) a vessel sank near the cape of Uluburun, Turkey. The cargo was immense: twenty tonnes of goods, including…

Akhenaten (Part 2): The Great Queen(s)... In 1361 BCE, Amunhotep IV was settled into his power. It was time to find a queen - his choice would be one of Egypt's most famous women..…

Akhenaten (Part 1): Conventional Start. Around 1362 BCE, the reign of Amunhotep IV began. Although destined to shake the Egyptian state, this King began with some surprisingly conv…

Amunhotep III (Part 14): The End. In his last regnal years, Neb-ma'at-Re Amunhotep III experienced victories and defeats. While his health declined, the pharaoh got into a serious…

Amunhotep III (Part 13): Foreign Wives and Magnificent Tiye. By 1366 BCE, Amunhotep was on top of the world: foreign kings begged his friendship and they were willing to pay (beaut…

Amunhotep III (Part 12): Pharaoh as a God. By 1366 BCE, Amunhotep III was ready to celebrate a second sed-festival. However, the King's pretensions had begun to reach celestial hei…

Around 1370 BCE, wealthy Egyptians enjoyed a comfortable and well-furnished lifestyle. From their tombs, houses and scattered texts, we can get a sense of daily life for ancient ar…

Kha and Merit, an Intact Tomb. In 1906, a remarkable discovery came to light: the tomb of a middle-class couple, who lived in the town of Deir el-Medina. Here, amid the craftsmen a…

Amunhotep III (Part 11): The Royal Palace and a King's Life. By 1370 BCE, King Amunhotep III was living in a sumptuous palace at Thebes. Built for the first sed-festival (ep.100),…

The Minoans Fade Away. In 1370 BCE, an Egyptian embassy visited the Aegean. As part of their journey, they came to Crete, visiting the Keftiu (Minoans) who had ruled the island for…

A Passage to Greece. It's time to set sail! We journey far from Egypt to visit lands only whispered about until now. We are visiting Greece and the lands of Mycenae, who in 1370 BC…

Successful Statues, Private Worship, and Faith in New Kingdom Egypt. Dr. Campbell Price, is the Curator of Egypt and Sudan at the Manchester Museum, University of Manchester. Dr. P…

Success After Fifty. In 1470 BCE, King Amunhotep III's closest advisor was already eighty years old. The scribe, overseer and wise man Amunhotep Son of Hapu achieved prominence qui…

A Father Begs His Son to Return Home. Late in the New Kingdom (c.1250 BCE), an Egyptian father wrote a letter to his son. The son had gone to sea, sailing on a ship; he had not sen…

A former pupil goes off the rails and gets lost in drink; his teacher tries to bring him back. After completing his education, a young scribe might take a job in a temple, governme…

A Princess Becomes Queen, a Prince Becomes Heir. In 1370 BCE, the same year as the Sed-Festival, pharaoh Amunhotep III made two interesting decisions. He made his eldest daughter h…

Amunhotep III (Part 10): The Sed Festival, As Told by Kheruef Who Witnessed It. In regnal year 30, Amunhotep III celebrated the first of his sed-festivals. This was a spectacular e…
