Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation

by Aidan Dodson

This new study, drawing on the latest research, tells the story of the decline and fall of the pharaoh Akhenaten’s religious revolution in the fourteenth century bc. Beginning at the regime’s high-point in his Year 12, it traces the subsequent collapse that saw the deaths of many of the king’s loved ones, his attempts to guarantee the revolution through co-rulers, and the last frenzied assault on the god Amun. The book then outlines the events of the subsequent five decades that saw the extinction of the royal line, an attempt to place a foreigner on Egypt’s throne, and the accession of three army officers in turn. Among its conclusions are that the mother of Tutankhamun was none other than Nefertiti, and that the queen was joint-pharaoh in turn with both her husband Akhenaten and her son. As such, she was herself instrumental in beginning the return to orthodoxy, undoing her erstwhile husband’s life-work before her own mysterious disappearance.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Egypt, Egyptology, Ancient History, Research

232 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Aidan Dodson is Honorary Professor of Egyptology in the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology at the University of Bristol, UK, was Simpson Professor of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo in 2013, and Chair of the Egypt Exploration Society during 2011–16. Awarded his PhD by the University of Cambridge in 1995, he was elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London in 2003. He is the author of some twenty-five books, including Sethy I, King of Egypt: His Life and Afterlife (AUC Press, 2019), Rameses III, King of Egypt: His Life and Afterlife (AUC Press, 2019), Amarna Sunrise: Egypt from Golden Age to Age of Heresy (AUC Press, paperback edition, 2016), Afterglow of Empire: Egypt from the Fall of the New Kingdom to the Saite Renaissance (AUC Press, paperback edition, 2020), Poisoned Legacy: The Fall of the 19th Egyptian Dynasty (AUC Press, paperback edition, 2016), Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation (AUC Press, paperback edition, 2018), and Monarchs of the Nile (AUC Press, paperback edition, 2015). Professor Dodson has also written on naval history from the middle of the nineteenth century to the present day.

Reviews

[Jo Burl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I haven't quite finished this book, I feel compelled to write a review. I'd give this book 4 out of 5 stars. The writing is great, the ideas pretty sound, and I only took one star away because some of the illustrations are hard to really examine without a magnifying glass - at least for these middle aged eyes, and because the book doesn't go into quite enough depth. To be fair in the preface, the author, Aidan Dodson forewarns that some of us may complain that he doesn't go into enough depth, while other will wonder why he belabors some parts.

The book is aimed at Amarnaphiles, of which I included myself. Those of us who are interested in the Amarna period know that there are as many theories to what happened as there are major characters who lived in the period. Since I don't want to diminish from the enjoyability of the book, I'll only gloss over what I found to be the really interesting parts.

Dodson theorizes, and backs his theory up well, that there were 2 kings between Akhenaten and Tutankhamun. Most Egyptophiles know about Smenkhkare, but there may still be a few who don't know about Neferneferuaten. There's a whole confusing history on this king. Was the king another name for Smenkhkare? For Nefertiti? For someone else? Dodson comes down on a firm identification and to this reader's joy included all of the prenomens for Neferneferuaten which help to narrow this king's identity. I won't spoil the book by saying who he identifies, but while I would have once agreed with him, I know disagree based on what we found from the DNA reports done on Tut and his family.

Dodson gives an overview of the tombs involved, from Kings Valley 23, 55, 57, 62 and 63 (Aye, Unconfirmed occupant - sorry Mr. Hawass, many of still think his identity is not who you think he is, Horemheb, Tutankhamun and a cache tomb respectively), West Valley 22, 25 (Amenhotep III and perhaps the beginning of Theban tomb for Akhenaten) and some of the Amarna tombs. He covers the death of Tut and the tomb he was ultimately buried in and considers which tomb may have originally been planned for him before his untimely death - and the implications of this.

This leads us to the Egyptian Queen letters to the king of the Hittites requesting a prince to be her husband in place of her dead husband - the Prince Zananza(sh) affair and this prince's death. By plague or murder? Sadly, not enough time is spent on this.

The history of Aye is explored, with some time spent on his different title, and what they may have meant, his wife (wives?) and at least one of his sons. This is as far as I've reached -though I can see that there is a very interesting section on Horemheb coming up that looks as if it segues into the beginning of the 19th Dynasty.

Sadly, the book was published just prior to the JAMA DNA report on Tut and his family, and I think the DNA analysis may change some of the conclusions arrived at. To Dodson great credit, he has changed his stance in the past once new information has surfaced, and I love to know if he has changed his thinking since February 2010. This is an author that I would LOVE to have over for dinner so I could talk to him about this book. I know my husband's eyes would glaze over, but it is one conversation that would be certainly be memorable for me!

[Libbie Hawker (L.M. Ironside) · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have a foundation of basic knowledge regarding Egyptology or ancient Egyptian history, there is much to love in this book. As a big skeptic and promoter of rational thought, I must admit that Dodson rather won me over and primed me to agree with him by admitting in his foreword that he was once on a different thought-bandwagon but changed his position on certain aspects of Amarna Egyptology when new or better evidence was found. I like a person who can admit to having an open and flexible mind, and who's not too prideful to admit that his former position was incorrect.

That being said, of COURSE Neferneferuaten was Nefertiti! Duh! She changed her name and everything! The only thing surprising about this to me is how many people evidently still try to do mental acrobatics to turn Neferneferuaten into a man, or even into Meritaten. Sheesh, guys. It was Nefertiti already! Get over it and move on! I am much more intrigued by Dodson's evidence that Nefertiti was the mother of Tutankhamun and, as I read this book as part of my research for my next series of Egyptian historical novels, I am likely to work that tidbit into the story I'll tell. I am glad I've got a well-presented nonfiction work by an Egyptologist to back me up when readers inevitably start waving pitchforks and torches at me for forgoing the much-loved Kiya-as-mother scenario.

If you are a neophyte to Egyptian history, this book may be too complex a read for you, as it really plunges directly into the ancient Egypt scene without any hand-holding over certain aspects of culture (tomb-building, religion, role of Pharaoh, etc.) and without much description of what the 18th Dynasty was like politically and socially prior to the Amarna revolution. A basic understanding of this period of history is rather necessary for grasping the full impact of Dodson's narrative and evidence, so I recommend a less hardcore book on Amarna for curious readers who are new to Egyptian history (Joyce Tyldesley has some good ones...her biographies of Nefertiti and Tutankhamun provide an excellent and newbie-friendly grounding in why and how the Amarna shift was so revolutionary in the 18th Dynasty.)

All in all, a very useful and intriguing book for those well-versed in Egyptian history. I enjoyed it, and will return to it often as I work on my upcoming Amarna novels.

[Peter Pereira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aidan Dodson has to be considered one of the preeminent Egyptologists in the field. His vast collection of published works are must reads, and this one could be near the top. Amarna Sunset takes place after Amarna Sunrise, but was actually published before. While originally released in 2009, kudos to the author for basically re-writing Amarna Sunset to take into account many of the discoveries that have happened in the field since the original publication. That is something to consider. If you are interested in reading this book, do not get the original, get the 2018 version as this volume contains plenty of current information including DNA testing which occurred in 2011 (and here once again Dodson takes a clinical approach to the findings). In terms of layout, this book is actually better than Amarna Sunrise in that the illustrations and references included in the text are not as remote, keeping page flipping to a minimum if you really want to tie the visuals with the text. Let me just say this. This book is not for your average person who has no grasp on Ancient Egyptian history and wants to read a little bit more about 'king Tut'. This reader will be lost in the first two paragraphs. If you do have some prior knowledge of the Amarna period and you really want to dig in, start with Amarna Sunrise, then progress to this book. The author tells you the facts. There is no filler in these books. No conjecture, or hyperbole, simply what has been found, and what the possibilities are. Be warned, this is a thorough examination of this period. Who were the priests, the viziers, the daughters, the average people, the tombs, the statuary, the temples, all meticulously researched. Sometimes this is a little overwhelming, but worth a slow burn read. This is not a long book by any stretch of the imagination, but a long read if you want to soak it all in. I rarely give a perfect score, but out of all of the books I have read on Ancient Egypt I can tell you that few were as good as this, in that its more of a research paper, than an attempt at fleshing out characters of which we have so little information on.

[Iset · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amarna Sunset was pretty much what I’d been hoping for after the disappointments I had with Amarna Sunrise. The one down side is that neither book really deals with the height of Akhenaten’s reign in depth. But on the whole, this ticked a lot more boxes. It thoroughly addresses the key debates in Amarna studies. Having read Sunrise first – which was actually published after Sunset – I did notice that some of the arguments were repeated and expanded upon here in Sunset, but that is purely a consequence of Dodson in Sunrise revisiting the same debates in light of new evidence.

Like Sunrise, Sunset also feels like a short book, but less pronounced, since the author devotes so much page space to the questions that obsess Amarnaphiles. I would call it more readable as a result, and it was a read I certainly devoured in just a couple of hours. I wouldn’t call it a definitive study of the Amarna period, as it skips over so much of the key events. Instead, it is a thorough study of the hottest debates, the extant evidence for the arguments, and the possible scenarios. I can’t say I agreed with all of Dodson’s conclusions, although some of them did win me over, but Dodson definitely presents the debates objectively and makes reasoned, plausible arguments that the reader can follow, and agree or disagree with at will.

8 out of 10

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

“It is of course the highest irony that, after this intensive campaign go expunge them from the annals of Egypt, the Amarna pharaohs are today probably the most recognized of all the country’s rulers.”

Ah, the Amarna pharaohs. So much upheaval, so much drama, so little provable, so little known for sure.

I do love spending time in Egyptological books. I must do it more often, and Amarna Sunset is a thought provoking book on the decline of this highly controversial era as well as the Eighteenth Dynasty as a whole. Reading Amarna Sunset took me twice as long as it should have as I kept falling into scholarship holes. Considering the publication date of 2009, I skeptically kept looking up modern counter arguments to Dodson’s arguments. Oops.

Overall though, Dodson provides a well researched book on the over published, overly speculated, and evidence-lacking Amarna period of Egyptian history, and my nerd self loved it.

Anyway — Dodson’s most novel theories revolve around the elusive and ever intriguing Nefertiti. He posits that Nefertiti was not just an exceptional Great Wife to Akhenaten with near equal pharaonic power as her husband but indeed eventually, as Neferneferuaten, ruled independently after the death of Akhenaten and Smenkhkare, as a co-regent with Tutankhaten. Upon her death/deposition/disappearance came the switch to Tutankhamun, and whichever of those options it was that saw Neferneferuaten’s removal from history, I do think it came with disgrace. Of course a modern, yet to be published theory suggests Neferneferuaten to be one of Akhenaten and Nefertiti’s daughters, and this scholar bases her theory not on throne names like Dodson but on artistic iconography. I personally like Dodson’s hypothesis as the throne name is identical with Nefertiti’s, but that’s my unfounded bias. Either way, Dodson is the one to hypothesize this Neferneferuaten as a female ruler, whatever her identity, and I like it. It’s good detective work. He also proposes that Tutankhamun inherited this yet to be identified former king/coregent’s funerary items (most of which were designed to be feminine versions with earring holes filled in) and had them reworked for him. This explains why Tut’s funerary equipment is so grand while his tomb is so pitiful.

Dodson also does believe Smenkhare to be a real and separate individual, but again, due to this book’s publication date, it’s theories about Tutankhamun’s parentage are outdated. Dodson firmly advocates that Tut is the son of both Akhenaten and Nefertiti because logic dictates he ought to be. Royal princes were rarely included in traditional artistic representations of this time period or ever before so why would Tut be any different in the Amarna canon? However, recent DNA evidence has proven with 98.999999% accuracy that Tut’s parents were none other than the mysterious KV55 mummy and the Younger Lady dumped in Amenhotep II’s tomb. I in no way support Zahi Hawass’s horrifically poor scholarship in sensationally and against better evidence declaring the badly damaged KV55 mummy to be Akhenaten. I side with his many, many detractors upholding that the mummy belongs to a younger man, most likely Smenkhare who would be (based on that lovely DNA testing) Akhenaten’s younger brother, another son of Amenhotep III and Tiye. DNA testing also says that the Younger Lady is Smenkhkare’s sister and thus not Nefertiti, who was never formally a King’s Daughter. Still pretty darn cool though. I did like Dodson’s hypothesis that Akhenaten’s body was destroyed when the other mummies were moved and reinterred in Thebes. It certainly makes sense with his whole Counter Reformation theories, but it does go against Egyptological hopes.

Miscellaneous notes of interest:
-Amenhotep III definitely died prior to Akhenaten ascending the throne, and later Amarna portraits of the former king were made as memorials to further aid in elevating the concept of the royal family.
-The theory that Ay was the son of Yuya, making him Akhenaten’s maternal uncle, which would explain his prominence at court, and if indeed Ay was Nefertiti’s father, it would explain Akhenaten and Nefertiti’s marriage as they’d be cousins. And since Tiye was such an indomitable presence in her husband’s reign, perhaps that assertive quality was genetic. Or perhaps Ay wasn’t Nefertiti’s father and just Yuya’s son. Or none of the above. Ah, Egyptology.
-The theory that Mutnodjmet, Horemheb’s Great Wife, was potentially Nefertiti’s much younger sister, which would then explain Horemheb’s rise to power in Tut’s reign and subsequent ability to take the throne after Amy’s death.
-I also enjoyed learning that Mutnodjmet continued the strong, atypical queenship as her recent predecessors, Tiye and Nefertiti, based on her colossal representation and depiction as a unique winged Sphinx.
-“...While hostility toward Ay was manifest from fairly early on in Horemheb’s reign, the decision to place Tutankhamun among the damned seems to have taken place rather later.” Most intriguing.

[Jeremy Hobbs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like its companion, Amarna Sunrise, this book...was not for me.

Having read Toby Wilkinson's "The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt", I was looking for a bit deeper dive on a narrower swath of Egyptian history, but not so deep a dive as to be essentially an academic study. Somehow I convinced myself that this might be an accessible narrative but was really an onerous read.

What I found peculiar about this book, was that in 'telling the story', the author tends to periodically lapse into infinitesimal detail about some subjects and then apparently glosses over other topics. In particular the author tends to become preoccupied with the family trees of key figures and spends pages dissecting the evidence for the latest subject's parentage. I found this to be jarring and got in the way of my gaining a broad appreciation for the "sunset" period.

This said, I am giving the book 3 stars because I think I just bought the wrong book for me. Experts in Egyptology might be better served than I by this work.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and easy enough read for a layman. Have to say, however, that the illustrations do not translate well in the Kindle edition. Very washed out.

Still I learned much about Tut, Horemheb, and Ay. Good look at issues of conflict.

[Kristijan Matić · Rating 5 out of 5]

In "Amarna Sunset," Aidan Dodson provides a deep and insightful exploration of the turbulent Amarna period in ancient Egyptian history, extending from the reign of Akhenaten to the death of Horemheb. This book meticulously examines the revolutionary religious reforms of Akhenaten, the intriguing family tree of Tutankhamun, and the eventual restoration of traditional religious practices.

One of the strengths of this book is Dodson's thorough research and systematic approach. He presents various theories about the Amarna period and the succession of its rulers, offering readers a comprehensive understanding of the era. The extensive bibliography serves as a testament to the depth of Dodson's research and makes this book an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the subject.

The inclusion of titularies in transliteration, detailed maps, and a variety of images brings the period to life and provides readers with essential visual aids to better understand the complex history. However, as someone learning hieroglyphs, I would have appreciated seeing the titularies presented in their original form as well.

While the in-depth analysis of buildings and statues might be a bit too detailed for some readers, it is important to recognize that these are some of the primary sources available to study this fascinating period. Dodson's focus on these elements contributes to a richer understanding of the era.

"Amarna Sunset" greatly enhanced my understanding of not only Akhenaten's reign but also the subsequent rulers until Horemheb's death, providing valuable insight into the latest research on this captivating period of history. I highly recommend this book to anyone with a deep interest in ancient egypt.

[Elli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had purchased this in Cairo along with a number of other books on Ancient Egypt. The Amarna story is the tale of a fascinating "experiment" in monotheism that ended in disaster for the Royal family while upending the social structure of Eighteenth Dynasty Egypt. Dodson did well to bring together the many sources, theories and even clearing conjecture surrounding the sputtering out of the flame that began with Akhenaten. The book includes a very handy table in the Appendices that lets readers see contemporary rulers in other Empires during the Amarna period. This is an important visual aid since a number of correspondences occurred between Egypt and the Hittites. A fast and enjoyable read.

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

This and the other book, Amarna Sunrise, provide a fact based introduction to the rise and fall of the Amarna period. So much regarding this period is based on weakly supported speculation. These books provide a clear catalog of the supporting evidence.

I highly recommend these two book, Texts from the Amarna period in Egypt by William Murname and Barry Kemp's The City of Akhenaten for an evidence based understanding of the Amarna period.

[Jak Geneb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very nicely exp!ained

I've read several older books on Akhenaten and I would have to say that this one is by far my favourite. The author uses regular
language, rather than mostly technical, specialized language making this book easily readable. Highly recommended for those looking to learn about the subject, or those wanting a refresher the new discoveries that have changed what we thought we new about Akhenaten

[Robin Wellwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a very detailed account of the different people in the 18th dynasty. Not really any juicy bits about their lives and how they lived. Still for a person obsessed with ancient Egypt; (not an academic pursuit) it was interesting and I know more now. Easy to read and I loved the pictures and diagrams and lists. This book seems more like a textbook.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, presents information in a clear and organized way. Dodson's writing style flows and is easy to read. He backs up his points with clear evidence and arguments are well explained. The author also does a good job presenting counter arguments. There is plenty of evidence without feeling like you're drowning in references that you can't keep up with. Would definitely read again.

[Asaria · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is precisely what I've been looking for! An impartial overview of mostly up-to-date theories about the Amarna period.

The author is honest, and I respect this. He isn't afraid to say: "My previous theory was wrong. X is right". Probably it's the best books about the Amarna period I've read so far.

The only dated theory present here so far is the mystery of Tutankhamon's mother. I read she is confirmed to be "The Younger Lady", Akhenaten's sister.

[Jae Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some interesting perspective, but in the end it feels like it was a rip off of Michelle Moran.

[Pete · Rating 1 out of 5]

I quit on this after about 50 pages. A confusing mess.

[Ed Smith-Rowland]

Very good book of a tumultuous period after Akhenaten's rule and 'monotheism'.

[Markie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great introduction to the Amarna period of ancient Egypt!

[Nicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of drops you in the middle, but gives interesting insights

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first thing I will say is that isn't a book about Akhenaten and Nefertiti, and largely glosses over Akhenaten's revolution to focus on the issue of the Amarna succession, from the shadowy Smenkhkare to the restorer Horemheb. So don't pick this up if you want another take on Akhenaten. Since I'm currently interested in Akhenaten's successors, this was the right book for me.

Rightly or wrongly, Dodson assumes that readers will have knowledge of the "early" Amarna period, providing a very brief backdrop on the "revolution" before jumping straight to the tail-end of Akhenaten's reign and his co-regencies with his succession. I did feel a little overwhelmed when I was reading the first chapter but I quickly got into the book, and actually read it in under 2 days, when I tend to take about 5 days to read non-fiction books.

Most of Dodson's conclusions are well-argued, though his logic that Tutankhamun was the son of Akhenaten and Nefertiti is seems mainly to be "well, we don't know it wasn't Nefertiti, so it was!" which isn't that much to go on. Amarna Sunset was published the year before the 2010 DNA results were released, so this also means that some theories (such as the Tutankhamun being a child of Nefertiti) require a deeper scrutiny. I would love to hear of Dodson's new thoughts in light of these results.

One thing that I really have to praise is the logic and order that Dodson brings to the often convoluted issue of the Amarna succession (known sometimes as the "Amarna tar pits"). He appears to take in all the available evidence to produce the most logical outcome in most cases. I also really liked the overview on the tombs that could be for the Amarna royals.

Amarna Sunset is a very welcome addition to my Egyptology shelf.

[Manuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will evaluate the book based on my experience with the Kindle version.
3 Starts.
The content is what I expected, a very well-documented book that narrates what could have happen with the last 5 pharaohs of the 18th dynasty. The author promotes rationalism and avoids any kind of crazy stories.
However. The kindle version is not at its best like other books I have read; the font is very small, with the very poor quality of the illustrations made me feel like reading a bad pdf version of the book.

[Rob Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much has been written about this period, and much of that unscholarly at best. Aidan Dodson gives an excellent overview of the Amarna period debunking much, and clearly defining the scholarly debates still underway. I loved this book but I am an ancient Egypt nut. If you are only a casual reader of this period, I would recommend a more friendly book. If you are caught up in the “he was the first monotheist” school, read it and learn that what is popular is not always true.

[Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was overall an interesting book about the successors of Akhenaten. Accompanied by pictures of various important monuments of the Amarna period and after, the author does a good job of explaining. Unfortunately, he takes for granted that the reader knows about Akhenaten and Aten, and I'm glad I read other books before this one.
A short read, it will interest people researching the succession of the "rebel" Pharoah

[Mercurybard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dodson does a good job of at least mentioning the many theories out there involving the pharoahs who following the Heretic King to the throne of Egypt...some of which I hadn't heard before. There is a bias there, true, but it was a calm, educated, and novel one.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating read into the royal culture and tumult immediately following the death of Akhenaten. Must-read for anyone interested in that period.

[Leena Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dodson's book are among my favorites. He raises interesting theories and all his books about the Amarna era are excellent.