| Nebmaatre I | |
|---|---|
![Base of the lion amulet of Nebmaatre, now in the Petrie Museum (UC 11587).[1]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aNebmaatre_scarab_Petrie.png) Base of the lion amulet of Nebmaatre, now in thePetrie Museum (UC 11587).[1] | |
| Pharaoh | |
| Reign | unknown duration |
| Predecessor | Rahotep? |
| Successor | Sobekemsaf I? |
| Dynasty | uncertain dynasty, possibly early17th dynasty or late16th dynasty |
Nebmaatre is theprenomen of a poorly attested ruler of the lateSecond Intermediate Period ofAncient Egypt. Nebmaatre may have been a member of the early17th Dynasty and as such would have reigned over theTheban region.[2] Alternatively,Jürgen von Beckerath believes that Nebmaatre was a ruler of the late16th Dynasty.[3][4]
.jpg)
The prenomenNebmaatre is attested on a bronze axe-head discovered in a tomb atMostagedda in Middle Egypt and now in theBritish Museum under the catalog number BM EA 63224. The same prenomen is inscribed on a black steatite amulet representing a lion of unknown provenance and now in the Petrie Museum under the catalog number 11587.[1] A degree of uncertainty affects the ownership of these artifacts sinceAmenhotep III's prenomen was Nebmaatre as well. However, the axe-head can be dated to the lateSecond Intermediate Period based on stylistic grounds and provenance while according toFlinders Petrie the amulet is of too rough a workmanship to be attributable to Amenhotep III.[5][6] Instead, Petrie suggested that the amulet be attributable to Ibi, an obscure ruler of the late13th Dynasty whose prenomen is partially preserved in theTurin canon as"[...]maatre". However,Kim Ryholt's recent study of the Turin canon precludes this identification as a vertical stroke in the lacuna just prior to "maatre" rules out the hieroglyph for "neb".[5]
The chronological position of Nebmaatre in the Second Intermediate Period is highly uncertain. The EgyptologistJürgen von Beckerath proposes that Nebmaatre was a ruler of a compounded 15th–16th Dynasty, which he sees as an entirelyHyksos line of kings.[7] Alternatively,Kim Ryholt put forth the hypothesis that Nebmaatre was a king of the17th Dynasty, although he left his position in the dynasty unspecified.[8] Ryholt's datation is based on the observation that the axe-head bearing Nebmaatre's name was found in a tomb belonging to thePan-Grave culture.[9][5] Egyptologist Darrell Baker points out that the Theban rulers of the period might indeed have provided such weapons to their mercenaries.[5]
