159: End of an Era
When Ay Died. 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 influenc...
5 Feb 202228min
158b: Ay, jr.
Pharaoh's Nephew. A small statue, in the Brooklyn museum, tells a tale. Of a King's nephew (by marriage), and the paths to lucrative work and influence in Egyptian society. A young man, also named Ay,...
1 Feb 202212min
158: What Ay Did
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 t...
25 Jan 202220min
157b: Warlords
Horemheb and Hatti. In the days of King Ay (and Tutankhamun before him) conflicts in Canaan and Syria remained a constant issue. In recent years, scholars have uncovered more information about these e...
18 Jan 202227min
157: Ay's Road to Kadesh
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 prov...
11 Jan 202228min
156: Oh, Ay Just Can't Wait to be King
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...
28 Dec 202132min
155: The Queen's Gambit
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...
21 Dec 202148min
154: Daḫamunzu - Ankhesenamun & the Hittites
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...
14 Dec 202147min
