234: Destroying Amarna / Splitting Heirs

The History of Egypt Podcast

Dominic Perry

History, Society & Culture

4.8 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 25 May 2026

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Sometime in Ramesses II's reign, royal artisans dismantled the city of Akhet-Aten (Amarna). Carefully, methodically, they removed the talatat blocks and carted them away to the nearby town Hemenu (Hermopolis) for reuse in a temple. This demolition of the Horizon of Aten remains a matter of debate among scholars: why now, and what motivated it? Meanwhile, Ramesses II has a problem. His sons keep dying. Between regnal years 25--55, at least twelve princes "passed to the west." We meet the designated heirs (and the spares), and see who finally got the top job... The funerary mask (of Khaemwaset?) in the Louvre and Wikimedia. Extended version available at www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast Music: Keith Zizza and Luke Chaos. Select References Brand, P. J. (2023). Ramesses II: Egypt’s Ultimate Pharaoh. Fisher, M. M. (2001). The Sons of Ramesses II (Vols. 1–2). Hanke, R. (1978). Amarna-Reliefs aus Hermopolis: Neue Veröffentlichungen und Studien. Iskander, S. (2002). The Reign of Merneptah [Unpublished PhD. Thesis]. Kemp, B. J. (2013). The City of Akhenaten and Nefertiti: Amarna and Its People. Kitchen, K. A. (1975). Ramesside Inscriptions Historical and Biographical (Vol. 2). Kitchen, K. A. (1993a). Ramesside Inscriptions Translated and Annotated: Notes and Comments (Vol. 2). Kitchen, K. A. (1993b). Ramesside Inscriptions Translated and Annotated: Translations (Vol. 2). Reeves, N. (2019). Akhenaten: Egypt’s False Prophet (2nd edn). Roeder, G. (1959). Hermopolis 1929-1939. Servajean, F. (2014). Mérenptah et la fin de la XIXe dynastie. . Sourouzian, H. (1989). Les Monuments du roi Merenptah. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Attention all passengers.
0:04.0	The Uber ride for Jeff's rugby team will depart in five minutes from Platform 15.
0:10.0	Your ride comes with six toilets and a refreshments carriage that you'll empty within five minutes.
0:16.0	Thank you for booking your tickets on Uber.
0:20.0	Trains on Uber.
0:24.8	Hello, and welcome back to the History of Egypt podcast, episode 234,
0:31.3	destroying Amarna and splitting airs.
0:36.9	One day, during the reign of Ramusies II, a team of royal workers came to the city of
0:43.1	Arquette Aten, the horizon of the sun-disc constructed for the ruler Akanaten and his queen
0:49.5	Nefertiti.
0:51.1	The town was a sprawling mass of temples, palaces, suburbs, and tombs. At least, it had been,
0:59.0	for a brief period around 1350 BCE. Now, several decades later, Ackyat Aten languished in
1:07.5	obscurity. A small population, perhaps, made their homes on the floodplain.
1:13.3	The temples to Aten, though, no longer operated. The great palaces and the suburbs were the
1:19.2	home of birds and rodents, rather than people. Still, Ackert Aten had one last purpose.
1:28.4	Sometime in Ramesses's reign, a fleet of transport barges tied up at the east bank of the
1:34.3	river.
1:35.5	Royal overseers disembarked, along with dozens, probably hundreds of workers.
1:41.2	They unloaded equipment, including chisels, hammers, wooden sleds, and pieces of scaffolding.
1:48.1	The labourers arrived at Arquit Aten to do work. Not building work, but unbuilding. They were
1:55.6	here to deconstruct Arcanaten city. Masons fanned out among the monuments.
2:01.6	The two magnificent sanctuaries that we know as the great and small Aten temples were target
	...

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