Hello everyone and welcome back to the History of Egypt podcast. This is a summary episode

covering the final years of Akanatin and how the events of his reign fit together.

We have already done two of these summaries for Akanaten, covering phases one and two of his reign.

Today, it is the third and final phase.

Regnal Year's 12 to 17, which we covered in episodes 12 to 134. By Regnal Year 12, approximately 1351 BCE, Aachenaten was well established in his power.

He had moved to his new royal residence at Aket Aten, the city we know as Amarna. Here he had established temples, a huge swath of domestic and

industrial areas for his people, and he had commissioned tombs for some of his favorite courtiers.

The king had also started work on a royal tomb, east of Arquette Aten, that would be the place

of his burial and other members of his

family. In year 12, Arcanatan celebrated the culmination of his efforts so far. A grand festival of

tribute took place at Arquette Arten, and we see this depicted in the tombs of the city. According to artistic images, the king received

embassies from foreign lands. People came from the south, the conquered lands of Wawat and Kush,

what we call Nubia. People also came from the north, from Syria and Kanaan. Finally, people of the Aegean came to give Akanatin

their tribute, their homage, and their respect to the great king of Egypt. The festival of tribute is the

last major event of Akanatin's reign, at least in terms of what we see in the artistic records.

After year 12, information slowly starts to dry up regarding the king's actions, what

Arcanatan was up to. So year 12 and the Festival of Tribute is our last securely dated

event for his reign. It was the beginning of a dark period.

In Reginal year 13, approximately 1350 BCE, Arcanaten and his family started to suffer.

It seems that there were a string of deaths in the royal family.

The first of them was the princess Mechat-Artin.

Mechat-Aten was Ackernartin's second-eldest daughter.

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