Smenkhkare in Wikipedia

Smenkhkare (sometimes erroneously spelled Smenkhare or Smenkare and meaning Vigorous is the Soul of Ra) was an ephemeral Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh of the late Eighteenth Dynasty, of whom very little is known for certain. Believed by a growing number of experts to be the mummy from KV55, he is believed to be a younger son of Amenhotep III and queen Tiye, and therefore a younger brother of Akhenaten. Traditionally he is seen as Akhenaten's co-regent and immediate successor and predecessor of Tutankhamun and is assumed to be a close, male relative of those two kings (either by blood or marriage). More recent scholarly work has cast serious doubts on this traditional view and most aspects of this individual's life and position. His relation to the Amarna royal family, the nature and importance of his reign, and even "his" gender are up for debate. Related to this is the ongoing question whether Akhenaten's co-regent and successor are in fact the same person. Historical context The scenes in the tombs of Meryre II and Huya (located in the Amarna Northern tombs necropolis) depicting the "reception of foreign tribute" are the last clear view we have of the Amarna period[2]. The events depicted are, in the tomb of Meryre II, dated to the second month of Akhenaten's regnal year 12 (in the tomb of Huya they are interestingly enough dated to year 12 of the Aten)[3] and show the last securely dated appearance of the royal family as a whole (that is: Akhenaten and his chief-queen Nefertiti, together with their six daughters). These scenes are also the first dated occurrence of the latter name-forms of the Aten[2]. After this date the events at Amarna and their chronology become far less clear. It is only with the accession of Tutankhamun, and the restoration early in this king's reign, that matters become clearer again. A scene from the tomb of Meryre II, depicts pharaoh Smenkhkare and his Great Royal Wife, Meritaten handing out tribute from the window of appearances. the inscription was recorded upon discovery, but has since been lost. It is precisely in this shadowy late Amarna period that Akhenaten's co-regent and probable immediate successor comes to the fore. Akhenaten is generally assumed to have died in the late autumn of his 17th regnal year (after the bottling of wine in that year). Nefertiti disappears from view somewhat earlier (around regnal year 14); the reasons for this are at present still unclear and under debate (see below). Around the same time a new co-regent is first attested...