Twosret

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Queen Twosret Sitre Meryamun was a Queen of Egypt and the last Pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty. She reigned Egypt for 2 Years from about 1188-1186 BC, according to traditional Egyptian chronology and succeeded that of her step-son Siptah, who suffered from ill-health (probably polio).

Twosret, daughter of Takhat and Merenptah, was the senior wife of Seti II and-- following her husband's death--became first Regent to his heir Siptah, probably her stepson, jointly with Chancellor Bay, who some have identified as Irsu mentioned in the Harris papyrus. When Siptah died perhaps among some infighting among his heirs, Twosret seized the throne for herself, and assumed the role of a Pharaoh. While it was commonly believed that she ruled Egypt with the aid of Chancellor Bay, a recently published document by Pierre Grandet in a BIFAO 100(2000) paper proves that Bay was executed on the orders of Siptah in Year 5 of this king. The document is a hieratic ostracon or inscribed potshard and contains an announcement to the workmen of Deir El-Medina of the king's actions here. No immediate reason given to show what caused Siptah to turn against "the great enemy Bay," as the ostracon states. The recto of the document reads thus:

Year 5 III Shemu the 27th. On this day, the scribe of the tomb Paser came announcing 'Pharaoh LPH, has killed the great enemy Bay. (LPH is an acronym for Life (Ankh), Prosperity, Health,)

This date accords well with Bay's last known public appearance in Year 4 of Siptah. The ostraca's information was essentially an order for the workmen to working on Bay's tomb. Twosret's reign ended in a civil war and she was deposed from power by Setnakhte who founded the 20th Dynasty. Twosret's KV14 tomb in the Valley of the Kings was usurped by Setnakht, and her sarcophagus reused by Amenherkhepeshef in KV13. She constructed a mortuary temple next to the Ramesseum but it was never finished and has only been partially excavated (by Flinders Petrie in 1897).

A mummy found in KV35 and known as Unknown Woman D has been identified by some as possibly belonging to Twosret but there is no evidence for this theory other than the correct 19th Dynasty period of mummification.

References

Pierre Grandet, "L'execution du chancelier Bay O.IFAO 1864", BIFAO 100(2000), pp.339-345

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