Smenkhkare

Smenkhkare was a pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt, ruling during the Amarna Period. His reign was brief, likely lasting only a few years, and his exact relationship to his predecessor, Akhenaten, and his successor, Tutankhamun, is a subject of scholarly debate. Historical evidence suggests he may have been a co-regent with Akhenaten in the final years of Akhenaten's reign, or he may have ruled independently after Akhenaten's death.

The identity of Smenkhkare has been a persistent puzzle for Egyptologists. While traditionally thought to be a son of Akhenaten and Nefertiti, some theories propose he was a younger brother or even Nefertiti herself ruling as a female pharaoh under a male name. Evidence from inscriptions and royal tombs has been interpreted in various ways, leading to these differing hypotheses. The tomb attributed to him, KV62, the famous tomb of Tutankhamun, contains some sarcophagi that may have originally been intended for Smenkhkare.

Smenkhkare's reign is notable for its proximity to the end of the Amarna Period, a time of radical religious and artistic upheaval initiated by Akhenaten. Following Smenkhkare's death, the traditional religious practices were restored, and the names of Akhenaten and his immediate successors, including Smenkhkare, were largely omitted from official records. This deliberate erasure contributes to the difficulty in reconstructing his life and reign with certainty.