
Mysterious short-lived Amarna period pharaoh.
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Evidence suggests Smenkhkare may have served as co-regent with Akhenaten in the final years of the latter's reign. Inscriptions from Amarna show them ruling together, possibly to manage the transition of power. This co-regency, if it occurred, was brief and ended with Akhenaten's death.
Smenkhkare ruled for a very short period, likely less than a year, during the turbulent Amarna period. He succeeded Akhenaten and may have been a co-regent before becoming sole ruler. His reign is poorly documented, and his identity remains debated, with theories suggesting he was a brother or son of Akhenaten.
Smenkhkare is believed to have been buried in Tomb KV55 in the Valley of the Kings. The tomb contained a mummy, a gilded coffin, and canopic jars, but the identity of the occupant is disputed. The burial was disturbed in antiquity, and the remains have been linked to both Smenkhkare and Akhenaten.
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