Smenkhkare biography
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He further suggests that Neferneferuaten was the chosen successor of Akhenaten and Smenkhkare used the same prenomen to usurp her position. Sparked by this unexpected discovery, Larson embarked on a fascinating historical quest that he chronicled in KMT (1: 2), 43-46.
KV 55 scholars had known for some time that a number of smaller objects found in KV 55 had been pilfered by Davis's workmen.
31) and referred to the Andrews diary entry for February 17'th, 1907, mentioned above, which reports the theft and retrieval of a necklace element inscribed on the reverse with a number 17. He has been the object of much speculation by Egyptologists.
Around year 14 of Akhenaten’s reign, Nefertiti “disappears” and a co-regent named Ankhkheperure Nefernefruaten is first recorded.
In particular, the fact that the Hittites recorded that he was assassinated when he went to Egypt in response to the letter from the widow, and many suggest it was Tutankhamun’s widow (Ankhesenamun/Ankhesenpaaten) who wrote the Letter to Suppiluliuma, king of the Hittites.
Some Egyptologists still claim that Smenkhare was actually Nefertiti (notably Nicholas Reeves), noting that there are no depictions of Nefertiti and Smenkhare together and he may have shared the name “Nefernefruaten” with both Nefertiti and her fourth daughter (Princess Nefernefruaten ta-Sherit).
However, we have seen (above) that Davis retained the stolen KV 55 objects which he retrieved from dealers, and never sent them to Cairo. Before him are Mohamed Morsi (1951), Farouk of Egypt (1920), Menkaure (-2001), Abdel Fattah el-Sisi (1954), Horemheb (-1319), and Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator (-62). Yet, if Smenkhare reigned after Neferneferuaten, why are there references to his rule after year 15?
Both Dodson and Allen’s theories would seem to be defeated by the discovery of an inscription dated to year 16 of Akhenaten’s reign confirming that Nefertiti was alive and still his consort (but not co-regent).
The names of the king have since been cut out but thankfully the text was recorded by Lepsius. I was ready to drive to Boalsburg to photograph these artifacts when John Larson wrote back, explaining that he and Robert Ritner (now an Associate Professor of Egyptology at the Oriental Institute of Chicago) had seen the objects in 1989, and determined that none had probably come from Davis's excavations in the Valley of the Kings.
This study of post interment activity in KV 46 provides some answers.
Special KV 55 Section
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Follow the trail of the missing treasures from mysterious KV 55.
KV 55's Lost Objects: Where Are They Today?
The KV 55 Coffin Basin and Gold Foil Sheets
KV 55 Gold Foil at the Metropolitan
Mystery of the Missing Mummy Bands
KV 35 Revisited
See rare photographic plates of a great discovery from Daressy's Fouilles de la Vallee des Rois.
Unknown Man E
Was he really
buried alive?
The Tomb of Maihirpre
Learn about Victor Loret's important discovery of this nearly intact tomb in the Valley of the Kings.
Special Section:
Tomb Robbers!
Who were the real tomb raiders?
The Cairo Museum object certainly sounds like the necklace element that was sold by Sotheby's in 1976, but documentary evidence seems to make this far from certain.
For example, Daressy lists a necklace element marked on the back with a number 17 in his catalogue (ToQT, 21, item # 10) and this is problematic because it seems to indicate that the particular necklace element he describes had officially been included in the collection of KV 55 objects shipped to the Cairo Museum.
Even unconfirmed rumors concerning these artifacts are welcome, since--regardless of their validity--they serve as starting points for research and may, in some cases, be based on facts. Since the Amarna period was subject to a large-scale condemnation of memory by later pharaohs, very little can be said of Smenkhkare with certainty, and he has hence been subject to immense speculation.
FirstHoremhebsought to suppress the age by erasing the kings from Akhenaten to Ay and incorporatingtheirregnalyears into his own. The written accounts produced by these men all contain discrepancies which make it impossible to formulate a clear, unambiguous version of the discovery.
Unfortunately, his birth name is not confirmed, but it has been suggested (notably by Gabolde) that he was Zannanza, the son of the Hittite King Suppiluliuma.
There are a few problems with this suggestion. Images forwarded to me by individuals who do not supply the original image source are credited to the sender. His reign was during the Amarna Period, a time when Akhenatensought to impose new religious views.
However, Tutankhamen and Smenkhkare could also be half brothers, one born to Kiya and the other born to Nefertiti or another of Akhenaten’s lesser wives. He replied that he did have "some items from Egyptian tombs" on display in the museum.