Amanishakheto was a

Kandake Kandake, kadake or kentake ( Meroitic: 𐦲𐦷𐦲𐦡 ''kdke''),Kirsty Rowan"Revising the Sound Value of Meroitic D: A Phonological Approach,"''Beitrage zur Sudanforschung'' 10 (2009). often Latinised as Candace ( grc, Κανδάκη, ''Kandak� ...

Kush Kush or Cush may refer to: Bible * Cush (Bible), two people and one or more places in the Hebrew Bible Places * Kush (mountain), a mountain near Kalat, Pakistan Balochistan * Kush (satrapy), a satrapy of the Achaemenid Empire * Hindu Kush, a ...

. She seems to have reigned from 10 BC to 1 AD, although most dates of Kushite history before the Middle Ages are very uncertain. In Meroitic hieroglyphs her name is written "Amanikasheto" (''Mniskhte'' or ''(Am)niskhete''). In Meroitic cursive she is referred to as ''Amaniskheto qor kd(ke)'' which means Amanishakheto, Qore and Kandake ("Ruler and Queen").László Török, The kingdom of Kush: handbook of the Napatan-Meroitic Civilization

Monuments

Amanishakheto is known from several monuments. She is mentioned in the

Amun Amun (; also ''Amon'', ''Ammon'', ''Amen''; egy, jmn, reconstructed as (Old Egyptian and early Middle Egyptian) → (later Middle Egyptian) → (Late Egyptian), cop, Ⲁⲙⲟⲩⲛ, Amoun) romanized: ʾmn) was a major ancient Egyptian ...

-temple of Kawa, on a stela from Meroe, and in inscriptions of a palace building found at

Wad ban Naqa Wad ben Naga (also Wad Ban Naqa or Wad Naga) is the name of an ancient town of the Kushitic Kingdom of Meroë in present-day Sudan. The village lies on the eastern bank of the Nile, about 80 kilometers upstream of Meroë and about 40 km so ...

, from a stela found at

Qasr Ibrim Qasr Ibrim ( ar, قصر ابريم; Meroitic: ''Pedeme''; Old Nubian: ''Silimi''; Coptic: ⲡⲣⲓⲙ ''Prim''; Latin: ''Primis'') is an archaeological site in Lower Nubia, located in the modern country of Egypt. The site has a long history o ...

, another stela from

Naqa Naqa or Naga'a ( ar, ٱلـنَّـقْـعَـة, An-Naqʿah) is a ruined ancient city of the Kushitic Kingdom of Meroë in modern-day Sudan. The ancient city lies about north-east of Khartoum, and about east of the Nile River located at appr ...

and her pyramid at Meroe (Beg. no. N6). Amanishakheto is best known for a collection of jewelry stolen from her pyramid in 1834 by Italian treasure hunter

Giuseppe Ferlini Giuseppe Ferlini (April 23, 1797 – December 30, 1870 Epitaph from his gravestone in the Certosa di Bologna (see picture).) was an Italian soldier turned treasure hunter, who robbed and desecrated the pyramids of Meroë. Biography Born in ...

, who destroyed the pyramid in search of its burial goods. It was a treasure that fulfilled all his expectations: it consisted of 10 bracelets, 9 shield rings, 67 signet rings, 2 bracelets and a large number of amulets, all created by the best craftsmen of the Kingdom of Meroë These pieces are now in the

Egyptian Museum of Berlin The Egyptian Museum of Berlin (german: Ägyptisches Museum und Papyrussammlung) is home to one of the world's most important collections of ancient Egyptian artefacts, including the iconic Nefertiti Bust. Since 1855, the collection is a part of t ...

and in the Egyptian Museum of Munich.

Sandstone Relief

A sandstone relief depicting the queen, now at the Khartoum National Museum in Sudan, was found in the Temple of Amun in Naqa. The relief depicts Queen Amanishakheto next to two deities. In Egyptian art, people depicted seated are of highest importance followed by whoever is facing towards the right. It is also important to note the hierarchy of scale. In this depiction, Amanishakheto is taller than the two figures however, the god that is seated would be taller than the two women. The deities have been identified as Amesemi and Apedemak, the warrior god and goddess. Amanishakheto is also seen wearing the royal costume that is associated with the Nubian warrior and hunting gods which further highlights her importance as a protector of her kingdom. The depiction of the queen with the two gods further emphasizes her power and status.

Stele of Queen Amanishakheto and the goddess Amesemi

The stele on the left is another representation of Amanishakheto accompanied by the warrior goddess, Amesemi. This stele is made from sandstone and was found in the Temple of Amun in Naqa. The two women are depicted wearing similar garments: fitted clothing, a scarf with a tassel, a collar, and rounded wigs. Their bodies are represented in different ways however, the goddess has a slimmer figure with a dress that features more elaborate details. Amanishakheto is depicted in a more curvaceous way. The interaction between the two seems to be intimate which also speaks to the power Queen Amanishakheto had. The hieroglyphs in the back of the stele identify both women. This stele was placed in the Temple of Amun in Naqa, which was built after the death of Queen Amanishakheto.D. A. Welsby, Julie R. Anderson, and Dietrich Wildung, “Kushite Religion: Aspects of the Berlin Excavation at Naga,” in Sudan Ancient Treasures: an Exhibition of Recent Discoveries from the Sudan National Museum (London: The British Museum Press, 2004), pp. 174-182.

Gallery

References

External links