Interview: God's Wives, King's Daughters - The Princesses of Amarna with Courtney Marx and ARCE

The History of Egypt Podcast

Dominic Perry

Society & Culture, History

4.8 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 1 April 2024

⏱️ 75 minutes

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Summary

The daughters of Akhenaten and Nefertiti were not just "ornaments" for their parents. Like many princesses, they also participated in the religious rituals and royal pageantry of the Egyptian government. In this interview, Courtney Marx (MA, George Mason University) joins us on behalf of the American Research Center in Egypt, to discuss the Amarna princesses and their role as priestesses. We also explore the history of royal women as priestesses and the unique roles they played in the temple rituals. Finally, we explore the aftermath of Amarna: how the visible roles, titles, and imagery of princesses changed following the death of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. The American Research Center in Egypt is celebrating 75 years of work in the Nile Valley. Dedicated to scholarship of the ancient, medieval, and modern worlds, the ARCE supports researchers and students, funds archaeological and scholarly work, and organises many public outreach programs. Learn more about ARCE at their website and follow the ARCE Podcast online and on all podcasting apps. Logo image: Block fragment showing two Amarna princesses (Metropolitan Museum of Art 1985.328.6). Photo by Courtney Marx. Further reading (provided by Courtney Marx): Ayad, Mariam F. “The God's Wife of Amun: origins and rise to power.” In Carney, Elizabeth D. and Sabine Müller (eds), The Routledge companion to women and monarchy in the ancient Mediterranean world, 47-60. New York: Routledge, 2021. Ayad, Mariam F. God's Wife, God's Servant: The God's Wife of Amun (ca.740–525 BC). United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis, 2009. Bryan, Betsy M. “Property and the God’s Wives of Amun.” In D. Lyons and R. Westbrook, eds. Women and Property in Ancient Near Eastern and Mediterranean Societies. Washington, DC: Center For Hellenic Studies, Harvard University, 2005. Pawlicki, Franciszek. Princess Neferure in the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari: Failed Heiress to the Pharaoh’s Throne? Études et Travaux 21, 109-127. 2007. Xekalaki, Georgia. Symbolism in the Representation of Royal Children During the New Kingdom. Oxford: Archaeopress, 2011. Troy, Lana. “Patterns of Queenship in Ancient Egyptian Myth and History.” PhD diss., Uppsala University, 1986. Williamson, Jacquelyn. “Death and the Sun Temple: New Evidence for Private Mortuary Cults at Amarna.” The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 103, no. 1 (June 2017): 117–123. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Before we begin a quick disclaimer this episode includes discussion of ancient priestly activities
0:06.8	which can involve a significant sexual component we engage with these ideas frankly openly, but they may not be suitable for all audiences.
0:17.0	Please use discretion when listening to this episode.
0:20.0	Thank you. Hello everyone and welcome to a history of Egypt podcast interview.
0:37.0	My guest today is Courtney Marx.
0:40.0	Courtney Marx comes to us as a representative of the American Research Center in Egypt,
0:46.0	a long-running organization dedicated to the study of Egyptian society, culture and history.
0:52.0	This includes the ancient world, but also the medieval and
0:56.2	modern periods. The ARCE has played a prominent role in Egyptian archaeology, history and social studies for nearly a century.
1:07.0	In 2024, the ARCE is celebrating 75 full years of operations to mark the occasion they reached out to
1:15.4	organize this interview with Courtney Marks. Courtney joins us today to
1:19.8	discuss topics from her master's thesis, which she completed at George Mason University in the United States in 2017.
1:28.0	The subject of that research was the representations of the Amana princesses and their religious role during the Amana period.
1:38.0	This research filled an important gap within the discussion of the Amana period as a whole,
1:43.0	particularly a greater emphasis on the daughters of Arkanaten and Nefatiti,
1:48.0	a uniquely visible part of their parents' regime,
1:52.0	but also a group that was not well understood,
1:55.3	especially within religious and political terms. Courtney's research contributed to a greater
2:01.3	understanding of these phenomena, especially by comparing the princesses of Amana with royal daughters of the earlier 18th dynasty,
2:11.0	and how they had participated visibly in the Royal Court and Regime.
2:16.0	As you will see, the discussion is wide-ranging across time and space,
2:20.0	but also remarkably detailed in the roles these royal women played within their society.
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