Amenemhat I

From ArchaeoWiki

Amenemhat I was the first ruler of the Twelfth Dynasty in the Middle Kingdom period of ancient Egypt.

Amenemhat I moved the capital from Thebes to Itj-tawy.

Not possessing royal descent, Amenemhat was at pains to create legitimacy for his reign. The composition of such literary works as the Prophecy of Neferti, the Instructions of Amenemhat and the reversion to the pyramid-style burial complexes favoured by Sixth Dynasty rulers are frequently interpreted as attempts to justify his position.

Indications exist that Amenemhat I was assassinated by his guards.

Establishing a new ruling dynasty, Amenemhat I was succeeded by his son Senwosret I with whom he had shared a co-regency for some years—an unprecedented arrangement.

The deceased ruler was buried in el-Lisht.

Bibliography

• Arnold, Dorothea [1991], "Amenemhet I and the Early Twelfth Dynasty at Thebes", Metropolitan Museum Journal 26 (1991), pp.5-47.