Shoshenq II

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Heqakheperre Shoshenq II was an Egyptian king of the 22^nd dynasty. He was the only ruler of this dynasty whose tomb was not plundered by tomb robbers. His final resting place was discovered intact in Tanis by Pierre Montet in March 1939 and found to contain a large number of jewel-encrusted bracelets and pectorals, along with a superb hawk headed silver coffin and gold facemask. Montet later discovered the intact tombs of two 21^st dynasty kings - Pseusennes I and Amenemopet- in February and April 1940 respectively. This occured just prior to the suspension of all excavation work due to the German attack on France in May 1940.

There is a small possibility that Shoshenq II was the son of Shoshenq I. Several bracelets from Shoshenq II's tomb identify Shoshenq I as either King Hedjkheperre Setepenre Shoshenq I or Chief of the Ma which was the Shoshenq I's title before he became king. These items are evidence of a possible filial link between the two men. Also, a forensic examination of his body reveals him to be a man in his 50's when he died. Hence, Shoshenq II was certainly born prior to Osorkon I's 35 year reign under Shoshenq I. It has been commonly argued by Kenneth Kitchen, in his books on the Third Intermediate Period in Egypt, that Heqakheperre Shoshenq II was the High Priest of Amun Shoshenq C, son of Osorkon I, who was appointed as a junior coregent to the throne but predeceased his father based upon the discovery of bandages on the Ramesseum Mummy of Nakhtefmut, which contain the dates Year 3 [Blank] and Year 33 of Osorkon respectively. Kitchen's inference is that Year 33 of Osorkon I is equivalent to Year 3 of Shoshenq II.

Unfortunately, however, these two dates were not written on a single piece of bandage, which would denote a true coregency. Rather, the dates were written on two separate and unconnected mummy bandages which were most likely made over a period of many years. Therefore, they would have been at different times. A prime example is the Mummy of Khonsmaakheru in Hamburg which contains separate bandages dating to Years 11, 12 and 23 of Osorkon I--or a minimum spread of 12 years between their creation and final use. A second example is the Mummy of Djedptahiufankh, the Third or Fourth Prophet of Amun, which bears various bandage linens from Years 5, 10 and 11 of Shoshenq I or a spread of 6 Years in their creation for embalming purposes. Therefore, the case for a coregency between Osorkon I and Shoshenq II is unsubstantiated because there is no clear proof that the Year 3 and Year 33 bandages on Naktefmut's body were created at the same time. Instead, as the two examples show, the temple priests merely used whatever old or recycled linens which they could gain access to. The Year 3 linen would, hence, belong to the reign of one of Osorkon's successors. Secondly, none of the High Priest Shoshenq C's own three children - a priest Osorkon whose funerary papyri is located in St Petersburg Museum, the priest Harsiese known by a Bes-statue in Durham Museum (who was likely Harsiese A), or the God's Wife Karomama-Merytmut - ever gave their father a royal title on their own funerary objects. This suggests that king Heqakheperre Shoshenq II is not Shoshenq C. Finally, Shoshenq II did not preserve any mementos or objects from Osorkon I's reign within his own tomb, which would be odd if he were indeed a son of this king. Other 22^nd dynasty kings such as Takelot I, for instance, employed grave goods that mentioned their parents names in their own tombs.

Since this king's funerary objects such as his coffin, jewel pectorals and coffin give him a unique royal name or prenomen called Heqakheperre, he was most likely a genuine king of the 22^nd dynasty in his own right, and not just a coregent. The exclusive use of silver for the creation of Sheshonq II's coffin is a potent symbol of his power because, in Egypt, silver was more precious than gold because it could not be mined here and had to be imported from Asia. The German Egyptologist Von Beckerath, in his 1997 German language book, Chronology of the Egyptian Pharaohs, gives Shoshenq II a short independent reign of two years based upon some of these considerations. Such an ascription accords well with the evidence from Manetho's Epitome which states that three kings intervened between Osorkon I and Takelot I. This is presumably an allusion to Shoshenq II's reign and his status as Osorkon I's immediate successor, rather than Takelot I. Beckerath's figure of two years is an estimate of this king's real reign length because dated documents from the early Third Intermediate Period in Egypt are quite sporadic. Takelot I, for instance, who ruled Egypt for 13 full Years, is only first documented in a Year 5 Nile Quay Text.

A medical examination of this king's Mummy by Douglas Derry reveals that he died as a result of a massive septic infection from a wound to his head. Derry also notes that he was more than 50 Years old at time of death. The final burial place of Shoshenq II is clearly a reburial because he was found in the tomb of another king, Psusennes I of the 21st Dynasty. Scientists have found evidence of plant growth on the base of Sheshonq II's coffin which suggests that Sheshonq II's original tomb had become waterlogged; hence, the need to rebury him and his funerary equipment in Psusennes's tomb instead.

Further Reading