Amenemhat II (c.1922-1878 BC), the third king of the Twelfth Dynasty, is one of the more enigmatic of Egypt’s Middle Kingdom kings. He ruled for at least 35 years, but until recently we knew little about his reign. There are no large temples dedicated to the king, and few of his monuments have survived. The remains of his large royal pyramid are barely visible and not yet systematically explored.
However, two fragments of an annal stone were found at Memphis, which record events during two years of his reign. Their analysis has shed new light on Amenemhat II, and on kingship in Middle Kingdom Egypt. While the rest of the reign remains obscure, it appears that Egypt flourished under his rule. There are many private monuments dating to his reign, and the quality of Middle Kingdom artwork reached a new high point.
Royal family
Amenemhat II was the son of Senusret I and his sister-wife Neferu. Two sisters are known: a lady called Sebat, and another Itakayet, who was buried at Lisht near her father’s pyramid.
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