Changes

Beginning in Year 15 or 16, the regent Nerferneferuatan ruled as "effective for her husband." This regent is usually identified as Nefertiti. The fourth daughter of Nefertiti and Akhenaten was also named Neferneferuaten, so it is possible that this daughter was the regent. In a few late inscriptions, Neferneferuaten is described as "Akhenaten-less" and with Meritaten as queen. (Even a female pharaoh needed a queen to preside with her at temple ceremonies.) This implies that Neferneferuaten continued to rule after Akhenaten's death, at least for a brief period.<ref name=Allen>Allen, James, "[https://web.archive.org/web/20120301142642/http://cassian.memphis.edu/history/murnane/Allen.pdf The Amarna Succession]," ''Causing His Name to Live: Studies in Egyptian Epigraphy and History in Memory of William J. Murnane,'' University of Memphis, 2007.</ref> She was succeeded by Smenkhkare, a brother of Akhenaten and the father of [[Tutankhamun]]. Smenkhkare also married Meritaten, although she would have been his niece. Burial goods prepared for Neferneferuaten's funeral were found in Tut's tomb. This suggests that a pharaonic burial was prepared for her, but then denied. The unused burial goods were then repurposed for Tut's tomb. Perhaps unable to accept a female pharaoh, Smenkhkare may have demoted Nefertiti to queen.

Beginning in Year 15 or 16, the regent Nerferneferuatan ruled as "effective for her husband." This regent is usually identified as Nefertiti. The fourth daughter of Nefertiti and Akhenaten was also named Neferneferuaten, so it is possible that this daughter was the regent. In a few late inscriptions, Neferneferuaten is described as "Akhenaten-less" and with Meritaten as queen. (Even a female pharaoh needed a queen to preside with her at temple ceremonies.) This implies that Neferneferuaten continued to rule after Akhenaten's death, at least for a brief period.<ref name=Allen>Allen, James, "[https://web.archive.org/web/20120301142642/http://cassian.memphis.edu/history/murnane/Allen.pdf The Amarna Succession]," ''Causing His Name to Live: Studies in Egyptian Epigraphy and History in Memory of William J. Murnane,'' University of Memphis, 2007.</ref> She was succeeded by Smenkhkare, a brother of Akhenaten and the father of [[Tutankhamun]]. Smenkhkare also married Meritaten, although she would have been his niece. Burial goods prepared for Neferneferuaten's funeral were found in Tut's tomb. This suggests that a pharaonic burial was prepared for her, but then denied. The unused burial goods were then repurposed for Tut's tomb. Perhaps unable to accept a female pharaoh, Smenkhkare may have demoted Nefertiti to queen.

The bust of Nefertiti, on display at the Egyptian Museum in [[Berlin]] is one of the masterpieces of ancient Egyptian art. Various authors have argued that mummy KV35YL ("The Younger Lady") is Nefertiti. Genetic testing has shown that the Younger Lady is Tut's mother, so this is unlikely.

The bust of Nefertiti, on display at the Egyptian Museum in [[Berlin]] is one of the masterpieces of ancient Egyptian art. Various authors have argued that mummy KV35YL ("The Younger Lady") is Nefertiti. Genetic testing has shown that the Younger Lady is Tut's mother, so this is unlikely. If Tut had been son of Akhenaten and Nefertiti, he would have been Akhenaten's heir.  

==References==

==References==