Erasing the Past: The Intentional Forgetting of Amarna Period Artifacts in the Tomb of Tutankhamun

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2021: General Sessions" session, at the 86th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Tutankhamun, one of the last kings of the Eighteenth Dynasty of ancient Egypt (circa 1330-1300 BCE), was buried in an non-royal tomb in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. His burial assemblage is one of the most intact burials ever discovered in Egypt. Amongst the many items, are atypical items that have not been found in other late Eighteenth Dynasty burials. The atypical artifacts are from Tutankhamun’s childhood, heirlooms, and artifacts associated with the names of Tutankhamun's immediate family members. The purpose behind the inclusion of the atypical artifacts is unknown. This presentation will examine the atypical artifacts through the utilization of statistical analyses, such as the Chi-Square, and the anthropological theories of memory works and secrecy to suggest that they are inalienable objects which were intentionally placed in the tomb to be forgotten. They were not destroyed because of their connection to the Amarna period but instead were deposited in Tutankhamun's tomb as a means to intentionally forget any association with Amarna “heretic” kings or the religion.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 86th Annual Meeting, Online (2021)   •
• SAA 2021: General Sessions

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 32406