Same Time, Same Face? Coregency and Royal Identity during the Early 12th Dynasty

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Royal statuary from the reigns of Amenemhet I and Senwosret I demonstrates the gradual development of a new portrait of kingship reflective of key changes in the royal ideology of the early 12th Dynasty. This shift is present in a number of new trends that appear in the royal statuary of this period, springing from the fusion of Old Kingdom and 11th Dynasty traits in the images of its founder, Amenemhet I. When examined together, the statuary of these kings suggests a connection between this new form of royal self-representation and the development of the practice of coregency. For nearly 50 years, scholars have debated the existence of a series of coregencies spanning Egypt’s 12th Dynasty. For many, the validity of the concept rests on the proposed period of shared power between Amenemhet I and his son, Senwosret I. This talk will provide an up-to-date analysis of the data related to a potential period of co-rule between these kings. It will also look at the statuary from each of their reigns in order to evaluate the potential effects of their proposed period of coregency.