Inner and outer coffin of Queen Ahmose-Meritatum

By Jacqueline Engel

Ahmose-Meritamun (or Ahmose-Meritamon) was a Queen of Egypt during the early Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt.

She was both the sister and the wife of Pharaoh Amenhotep I.

She died fairly young and was buried in tomb TT358 in Deir el-Bahari.

Ahmose-Meritamun was the royal daughter of Ahmose I and Ahmose Nefertari, and became the Great Royal Wife of her brother Amenhotep I, pharaoh of Ancient Egypt in the eighteenth dynasty.

Meritamun took over the role of God’s Wife of Amun from her mother Ahmose Nefertari.

Other titles recorded for Meritamun include:

• lady of the two lands (nbt-t3wy),
• (Great) King’s Wife (hmt-niswt(-wrt)),
• mistress of the entire two lands (hnwt-t3wy-tm),
• god’s wife (hmt-ntr), united with the white crown (khnmt-nfr-hdjt),
• king’s daughter (s3t-niswt), and king’s sister (snt-niswt).

The title king’s mother (mwt-niswt) is also recorded in later sources, even though she was never the mother of a king.