List three items found in Tutankhamen's antechamber.
1. The gilded wooden throne of Tutankhamen
2. Four gold chariots and a fifth with a silver-plated base
3. A gilded wooden shrine shaped like a canopy with four corners and adorned with falcon-headed chisels.
who was Akhenaten
Akhenaten was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh of the 18th dynasty who ruled from around 1353 BCE to 1336 BCE. He is notable for his religious reforms, which led to the worship of one god, the sun disc Aten, instead of the traditional polytheistic beliefs of ancient Egypt. He also moved the capital from Thebes to a new city he founded, called Akhetaten. He was also known for his artistic style, which featured exaggerated and realistic depictions of himself and his family. His reign was controversial and his reforms were reversed after his death.
What big change did Akhenaten bring to Egyptian society and religion?
Akhenaten brought a major change to Egyptian society and religion by introducing a new monotheistic religion centered around the worship of the god Aten. It was a departure from centuries of polytheistic worship of many gods and goddesses that had been the cornerstone of Egyptian religion. He dismantled the old religious temples and built new ones, including a grand temple to Aten at his new capital city of Akhetaten. He also replaced the traditional depiction of gods and humans in art with more naturalistic and expressive styles. This religious revolution was short-lived, as after his death the traditional polytheistic religion was reestablished in Ancient Egypt.
SOURCE 3 Translated inscription Tutankhamen had carved into a stone column,
marking a return to the worship of many gods
I found the temples fallen into ruin, with their holy places overthrown and their
courts overgrown with weeds. I reconstructed their sanctuaries, endowed the
temples and made them gifts of all precious things. I cast statues of the gods in gold
and electrum, decorated with lapis lazuli and all fine stones.
What was Tutankhamen’s main achievement during his short reign, and what were some of the things he did to achieve this
What reaction might the ancient Egyptian people have had to the information in Source 3.
Tutankhamen's main achievement during his short reign was to restore the polytheistic religion of Ancient Egypt, which had been abolished by his predecessor, Akhenaten. He reconstructed the sanctuaries that had fallen into ruin, endowed the temples with precious gifts, and cast statues of gods in gold and electrum, decorated with lapis lazuli and fine stones. He also reinstated the old religious practices, such as the worship of Amun, which had been suppressed during Akhenaten's reign.
The ancient Egyptian people may have been excited and relieved by the information in Source 3. They may have welcomed the return to the old religious practices and the restoration of the temples and holy places. They may have been delighted to see the statues of the gods being cast in gold and electrum, and decorated with precious stones. It would have probably instilled in them a sense of hope and faith in the newly restored gods.