The New Kingdom Necropolis of Memphis: Historical and Iconographical Studies.

A review on J. Van Dijk's important study on the Memphite Necropolis, especially the chapter dedicated on Horemheb (pp. 10-64, webpage http://www.jacobusvandijk.nl/docs/Horemheb_chapter.pdf), was posted by Jan Bailey on EEF. Important points made are:

*"Although Horemheb acted as Regent for Tutankhamun, Ay preceded him. His titles of 'Hereditary Prince' appear in his Memphite tomb. He was also referred to as 'Eldest Son of Horus' i.e. of the King, a title referring to the position of Crown Prince................ A comparison of the tomb with
the Coronation Text (of Tutankhamun) is enlightening"

*"It is quite possible that Horemheb intended to be buried in the Memphite tomb, even after he had become king........... This would provide a better explanation for the royal features of the underground complex, which is unparalleled even for the
few high-ranking private individuals who were granted a tomb in The Valley of the Kings.........The burial of his first wife Amenia took place not long after the wine harvest of Year 1
of Tutankhamun......... It would also explain why the Memphite tomb was used in or shortly after Year 13 for the burial of his Queen Mutnodjmet" (Martin - L'Egyptologie 1979 11 and Strouhal ibid)

*" Her title 'Songstress of Amun, Praised one of Hathor' are often mentioned in connection with the wives of private officials, but are absolutely unique for a Queen before the 21st Dynasty (Troy - Patterns of Queenship in Ancient Egypt)
This makes it even more unlikely that Mutnodjmet is to be
identified with Mutnodjmet/Mutbeneret, sister of Nefertiti..........
The legitimacy of Horemheb's rule did not depend on a link
with the previous royal family, but on his personal election by his God, Horus of Hutnesu".

*"There is evidence to suggest that Ay only became king as a temporary solution to the problem posed by Tutankhamun's sudden death, and that he was no more than a kind of caretaker king (Murname - The Road to Kadesh)........Anomalies point to the abnormal status of Ay's kingship. The inclusion of Ay's
pre-royal title 'It-Ntr God's Father' in his royal cartouche, which went against all tradition points, to the unusual character of Ay's kingship, but also the scenes in the tomb of Tutankhamun and in his own royal tomb. (Schaden - The God's Father Ay) In the former, Ay is shown as 'Lord of the Ritual nb irt ht', performing the
Opening of the Mouth rites for the mummy of his deceased predecessor, a scene not found in any other royal tomb......... In his own royal tomb, three scenes show Ay and his wife Ty hunting and pulling papyrus in the marshes, scenes which are
unique for a royal tomb, but extremely common in private tombs"

*"Why was Ay able to ascend the throne upon the death of
Tutankhamun, despite the fact that Horemheb had at that time already been the official heir to the throne for almost 10 years?"....
The solution may well have to be sought in Egypt's foreign affairs. (Murnane - Road to Kadesh) ........During the Amarna Period and after, Egypt was involved in a struggle with the Hittites over territories in Northern Syria and Palestine which formerly belonged either to her or to the Kingdom of Mitanni, with whom Egypt had maintained good relations since the days of Tuthmosis IV..........
shortly before the time of Tutankhamun's death the Egyptians had launched an attack on Qadesh from the south, while at the same time their Hurrian allies had attacked a Hittite garrison stationed in Murmuriga, a town which had recently been conquered by the Hittites".

*As has recently been shown by Bryce, Hittite sources state
unequivocally that the Egyptian defeat at Amqa and the sudden death of Tutankhamun took place around the same time, in the late summer or early autumn " (Bryce - The Death of Niphururiya and its Aftermath - JEA 76)

*It was then that Ankesenamun wrote to Suppiluliuma asking him for a son. During the long period of delay an envoy was sent to Egypt to investigate the truth. This envoy did not return until the following spring, bringing with him a second letter from the Queen."

*"There can be little doubt that the Queen had a very specific person in mind when she assured Suppiluliuma that she would
'never take a servant of mine and make him my husband'........
Murnane has therefore rightly interpreted Ankhesenamun's overtures as a peace initiative, prompted by those who were
willing to come to terms with the Hittites in Syria."

*"(Helck - Zur Verwaltung des Mittieren und Neuen Reiches)
"states that Horemheb being the great Commander-in-chief of Tutankhamun's army, was on the battlefield in Northern Syria when the king died, and that he was directly or indirectly involved in the defeat of the Egyptians at Amqa". .... Ankhesenamun could not have got away with her actions had Horemheb been in residence at the time of Tutankhamun's death".

*"Horemheb does not seem to have been involved at all in the burial arrangements for Tutankhamun, despite his very close
association with the king when the latter was still alive."

*The joint cartouche ring as a sign of marriage is explained:
"not very likely since Ay's monuments show that his Great Royal Wife was that same Ty with whom he is already shown on his pre-royal monuments, including his Amarna tomb."........... I would therefore suggest that the ring documents a short period of co-regency of Ankhesenamun and Ay, in which the latter
functioned as an 'interim" king until the arrival of the Hittite prince.
Only later, when the Hittite option had fallen through, was
Ay's kingship made permanent."

**Important Point
"A particularly interesting erasure occurs on the Coronation Stela
of Tutankhamun. The cartouches of Tutankhamun have been replace by those of Horemheb, but the two figures of Ankhesenamun which once stood behind those of Tutankhamun, have been thoroughly erased (examination of the stelea in Cairo Museum 1993 by writer J. van Dijk and G. Martin. The title hmt nsw wrt could be seen)...........
The damnatio memoriae of Ankhesenamun witnessed by the erasures on the Restoration Stela was inspired by personal motives; after all, it had been Ankhesenamun who had turned against Horemheb at the
most crucial moment in his pre-royal career".

Recommended reading!
Jan Bailey