Ramesses VI facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ramesses VI |
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| Ramses VI, Rameses VI, Ramesses VI Amunherkhepeshef C | |
Fragment of Ramesses VI's stone sarcophagus from his tomb now on display at the British Museum. The sarcophagus was originally painted, its stone quarried in the Wadi Hammamat.
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| Pharaoh | |
| Reign | 8 regnal years Eight full years and two months in the mid-to-late 12th century BC (20th Dynasty) |
| Predecessor | Ramesses V |
| Successor | Ramesses VII |
| Consort | Nubkhesbed |
| Children | Iset ♀, Ramesses VII ♂, Amenherkhepshef ♂, Panebenkemyt ♂ uncertain: Ramesses IX ♂ |
| Father | Ramesses III |
| Mother | Iset Ta-Hemdjert |
| Died | in his 40s |
| Burial | KV9; Mummy found in the KV35 royal cache (Theban Necropolis) |
Ramesses VI was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh. He was the fifth ruler of Egypt's 20th Dynasty. His full name was Ramesses VI Nebmaatre-Meryamun. He was also known by his princely name, Amenherkhepshef C.
Ramesses VI ruled for about eight years, from the mid to late 12th century BC. He was the son of Ramesses III and Queen Iset Ta-Hemdjert. Before becoming pharaoh, he was a royal scribe and a general in the cavalry. His son, Ramesses VII, later became pharaoh after him. Ramesses VII's mother was Queen Nubkhesbed.
Ramesses VI became pharaoh after Ramesses V died. Ramesses V was the son of Ramesses VI's older brother, Ramesses IV. In his first two years as pharaoh, Ramesses VI stopped attacks by raiders in Upper Egypt. He also buried Ramesses V in a tomb that is now lost. Ramesses VI took over and redecorated a tomb in the Valley of the Kings that was meant for Ramesses V. This tomb is known as KV9. The workers' huts near KV9's entrance covered the entrance to Tutankhamun's tomb. This helped save Tutankhamun's tomb from robbers for many years.
During Ramesses VI's rule, Egypt lost control of its last lands in Canaan. Even though Egypt still controlled Nubia, losing the Asian territories hurt Egypt's economy. It became harder to pay for new building projects. So, Ramesses VI often put his own name on older monuments. He also liked to have statues made of himself. More statues of him exist than of any other 20th Dynasty king after Ramesses III.
The pharaoh's power in Upper Egypt became weaker during his reign. His daughter, Iset, became the God's Wife of Amun, a powerful religious role. However, the High Priest of Amun, Ramessesnakht, made Thebes a major religious and political center. This made Thebes as important as Pi-Ramesses in Lower Egypt, where the pharaoh lived.
Ramesses VI died in his forties, in his eighth or ninth year as pharaoh. His mummy was found in his tomb but was later moved to KV35 by Pinedjem I. It was discovered in 1898 by Victor Loret. Today, his mummy is kept in the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization.
Contents
Family Life of Ramesses VI
Parents and Early Years
Ramesses VI was the son of Ramesses III. Ramesses III is thought to be the last great pharaoh of the New Kingdom. We know this from a large relief at the Medinet Habu temple. This relief, called the "Procession of the Princes," shows ten princes, including Ramesses VI, honoring their father.
When the relief was made, Ramesses VI was a young prince. He is shown with a sidelock of youth, which was a sign of childhood. When he became king, he added his princely name, "Ramesses Amunherkhepeshef," to the relief. He also added his titles, like "crown prince" and "cavalry general." He changed his youthful image to include an uraeus, a symbol of royalty.
Ramesses VI's mother was likely Iset Ta-Hemdjert. She was Ramesses III's Great Royal Wife. This is suggested because Ramesses VI's name is found on a door-jamb in her tomb in the Valley of the Queens.
Wife and Children
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Ramesses VI's main wife was Queen Nubkhesbed. They had four children together. These were the princes Amenherkhepshef, Panebenkemyt, and Ramesses Itamun. Ramesses Itamun later became pharaoh Ramesses VII. They also had a daughter named Iset. Iset became a priestess with the title "Divine Adoratrice of Amun". A stela found in Koptos confirms that Nubkhesbed was Iset's mother.
Prince Amenherkhepshef died before his father. He was buried in tomb KV13 in the Valley of the Kings. This tomb was originally built for Chancellor Bay. The tomb's decorations were updated to include references to Nubkhesbed.
Some historians also believe that Ramesses IX was a son of Ramesses VI. This would make him a brother to Ramesses VII. However, other scholars disagree. They think Ramesses IX was the son of Prince Montuherkhopshef, making him Ramesses VI's nephew.
Ramesses VI's Time as Pharaoh
How Long Ramesses VI Ruled
Ramesses VI became pharaoh shortly after Ramesses V died. Most experts agree that Ramesses VI ruled for eight full years. He also lived for two months into his ninth year as pharaoh. For example, some historians suggest he ruled from 1156 BC to 1149 BC. Others propose dates like 1145–1137 BC or 1143–1136 BC.
Evidence for his long reign comes from ancient records. An ostracon (a piece of pottery used for writing) mentions a loan of an ox in the seventh and eighth years of an unnamed king. This king could only have been Ramesses VI. Another important document is the Turin Papyrus 1907+1908. This papyrus covers the time from Ramesses VI's fifth year to Ramesses VII's seventh year. It suggests Ramesses VI ruled for eight full years and died in his ninth.
Events in Egypt During His Reign
Early Challenges in Thebes
When Ramesses VI first became pharaoh, he likely visited Thebes. This was probably for the burial of Ramesses V. The situation in southern Egypt was not stable at this time. Records show that workers building the king's tomb could not work. This was because of "the enemy" nearby. This "enemy" might have been Libyan or Egyptian bandits. Some historians even suggest it was a civil war between supporters of Ramesses V and Ramesses VI.
These troubles seemed to stop after Ramesses VI's second year. This might be due to a military campaign. A statue of Ramesses VI shows him holding a captured Libyan. There is also a scene at the Karnak temple showing him winning against foreign soldiers. The names Ramesses VI took when he became pharaoh also suggest military strength. His Horus name means "Strong bull, great of victories, keeping alive the two lands."
Later Years and Royal Projects
After these early events, Ramesses VI finally buried Ramesses V. He used the tomb originally prepared for his predecessor. During this visit to Thebes, Ramesses VI made his daughter Iset the God's Wife of Amun. His mother and other officials were present. That same year, he reduced the number of workmen on the king's tomb. This led to the gradual decline of the workers' village at Deir el-Medina.
Ramesses VI also ordered the building of six tombs in the Valley of the Queens. It is not known if these tombs were finished. They cannot be identified today.
A special statue of Ramesses VI was placed in a shrine at Deir el-Medina. This statue was called "Lord of the Two Lands, Nebmaatre Meryamun." It was made of painted wood and clay. It showed the pharaoh wearing a golden loincloth and a crown of lapis-lazuli. The statue received daily offerings. Ramesses VI seemed to like these statues. More statues of him have been found than of any other 20th Dynasty king after Ramesses III.
A high official in Nubia named Penne donated land to support another cult statue of Ramesses VI. Ramesses VI was pleased and rewarded Penne. Ramesses VI is also mentioned in many other places. These include reliefs, inscriptions, and statues from Karnak, Koptos, and Heliopolis.
Economic Challenges
During the reigns of Ramesses VI, VII, and VIII, prices for basic goods, especially grain, went up a lot. Egypt's economy was getting weaker. Because of this, Ramesses VI often took statues and monuments made by earlier pharaohs. He would cover their names and carve his own over them. He did this especially on monuments of Ramesses IV.
However, he did not remove all of Ramesses IV's names. This shows he was not trying to erase Ramesses IV from history. He just wanted his own name to be seen in important places. Ramesses VI claimed he "covered all the land with great monuments in my name." He said these were "built in honour of my fathers the gods." Historians see Ramesses VI as a king who wanted to appear great during a time of trouble and decline.
Power Shifts in Egypt
High Officials
Some important officials served Ramesses VI. These included his finance minister, Montuemtawy. There was also the vizier (a high government official) Neferronpe and his son Nehy. Amenmose was the mayor of Thebes, and Qedren was the king's butler. In Nubia, Nebmarenakhte was the troop commander. Penne was the administrator of Wawat and mayor of Anîba.
The Rise of Ramessesnakht's Family
In Thebes, the family of Ramessesnakht gained a lot of power. Ramessesnakht was the High Priest of Amun. His power grew, even though Ramesses VI's daughter Iset was also connected to the Amun priesthood. Ramessesnakht and his family became very powerful in Egypt. However, their actions did not seem to go against the pharaoh's interests.
Ramessesnakht often oversaw the distribution of supplies to workers. He also controlled much of the work on the king's tomb. This might be because the treasury of the High Priest of Amun was helping to pay for these projects. Ramessesnakht's son, Usermarenakhte, became the Steward of Amun. He managed large areas of land in Middle Egypt. He also controlled the country's taxes. This meant Ramessesnakht's family controlled both the royal treasury and the treasury of Amun.
Ramessesnakht was powerful enough to build a very large tomb for himself. This was at a time when royal building projects were being abandoned. Historians believe Ramessesnakht and his family created a second center of power in Upper Egypt. This was alongside the pharaoh's rule from Memphis and Pi-Ramesses in Lower Egypt. This setup helped prepare the way for the rise of the 21st Dynasty later on.
Egypt's Empire Abroad
Decline in Canaan
Egypt's power continued to decline during Ramesses VI's reign. His name is found in the Serabit el-Khadim in Sinai, where he sent expeditions to mine copper.
Egypt might have still had some influence in the Levant. A broken bronze statue of Ramesses VI was found in Megiddo in Canaan. A scarab (a type of ancient Egyptian amulet) of his was found in Alalakh in southern Anatolia.
However, Egyptian presence in Canaan ended during or soon after Ramesses VI's rule. The last Egyptian soldiers left southern and western Palestine around this time. The border between Egypt and other lands returned to a fortified line. This loss of Asian territories further weakened Egypt's economy. It also made it harder for later kings to maintain their authority.
Control in Nubia
Egypt's control over Nubia seemed much stronger. This was either because the local people had become more Egyptian, or because Nubia was economically important. Ramesses VI's name has been found on Sehel Island near Aswan. It is also in Ramesses II's temple in Wadi es-Sebua. Ramesses VI is mentioned in the tomb of Penne in Anîba. Penne also describes military raids further south. He claims to have brought back treasures to the pharaoh from these raids.
Ramesses VI's Burial Sites
His Tomb
Ramesses VI was buried in the Valley of the Kings. His tomb is known as KV9. This tomb was first built for Ramesses V. Ramesses V might have been buried there for a short time. However, Ramesses VI ordered KV9 to be completely redone for himself. There was no space left for Ramesses V's permanent burial. Ramesses V was finally laid to rest in Ramesses VI's second year as pharaoh.
The work on KV9 helped save the tomb of Tutankhamun. The entrance to Tutankhamun's tomb was buried under huts built for the workers on Ramesses VI's tomb. These works seem to have finished in Ramesses VI's sixth year. The tomb was about 104 meters (341 feet) long. It contains one of only three complete versions of the Book of Gates found in royal tombs. It also has a full version of the Book of Caverns.
Within 20 years of Ramesses VI's burial, his tomb was likely robbed. Grave robbers damaged his mummy to get to his jewelry. His mummy was later moved to the tomb KV35 of Amenhotep II. It was found there in 1898 by Victor Loret. A medical exam showed Ramesses VI died around age forty. His body was severely damaged by the robbers.
In 1898, Georges Émile Jules Daressy cleared KV9. He found pieces of a large granite box and parts of Ramesses VI's stone sarcophagus. The face of the sarcophagus is now in the British Museum. The sarcophagus was put back together in 2004. It is now on display in the tomb.
In 2020, the Egyptian Tourism Authority released a 3D model of the tomb online. In April 2021, Ramesses VI's mummy was moved to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. This was part of a big event called the Pharaohs' Golden Parade.
Mortuary Temple
Ramesses VI seems to have taken over a large mortuary temple in El-Assasif. This temple was originally for Ramesses V, who likely took it from Ramesses IV. The temple was planned to be very large. It is not clear if it was ever fully finished. However, it is mentioned as a land-owning institution in an ancient papyrus. Archaeological digs show that much of its decoration was done under Ramesses VI.
See also
In Spanish: Ramsés VI para niños
