Amun-Her-Khepesh-Ef ("Amun Is with His Strong Arm") (died ca. 1883 BC) was the supposed son of Pharaoh Senusret III and Hathorhotep and is notable for being buried in Middlebury, Vermont, in the United States. However, his identity has never been confirmed. Senusret III and Hathorhotep were not known to have married and it is possible that Hathorhotep was Senusret's own granddaughter.
| Amun-Her-Khepesh-Ef | |
|---|---|
| King's Son | |
| Born | ca. 1885 BC Ancient Egypt |
| Died | ca. 1883 BC (aged 1–2) Ancient Egypt |
| Burial | 1950 West Cemetery, Middlebury, Vermont |
| Dynasty | 12th of Egypt |
| Father | Senusret III |
| Mother | Hathorhotep |
| Religion | Ancient Egyptian religion |
His grave reads "ASHES OF AMUN-HER-KHEPESH-EF AGED 2 YEARS SON OF SEN WOSET 3 RD [sic] KING OF EGYPT AND HIS WIFE HATHOR-HOTPE [sic] 1883 BC". An ankh, Christian cross, and a quail chick hieroglyph are carved near the top of the stone.
He was said to have died at the age of two and was interred in Egypt, likely Dahshur. His mummy was stolen by graverobbers and purchased by Henry Sheldon from some visiting Spanish sailors in New York in 1886 for display in his museum, the Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History. However, the mummy arrived in such poor condition that it was relegated to the attic.[1] After Sheldon's death, it remained there until 1945, when a curator named George Mead came across it. Fearing that the mummy might be dug up by student pranksters if buried whole,[2] he had it cremated in his neighbor's furnace in 1950 and interred in his family plot, with a suitable headstone.[3] Amun-Her-Khepesh-Ef's grave is next that of General Warren Hastings and near that of Vermont Representative Daniel Chipman.[4] In 2023, the original gravestone from 1945 was discovered, but in an irreparable condition, so a replacement with the same text was created and placed in the same location.
References
edit- ^ "Grave of Amum-Her-Khepesh-Ef". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
- ^ Jasmine Day (27 September 2006). The Mummy's Curse: Mummymania in the English-speaking World. Routledge. p. 36. ISBN 978-1-134-29796-2.
- ^ Irving Wallace; David Wallechinsky; Amy Wallace (July 4, 1982). "New England Mummy". Significa. The San Bernardino County Sun. p. 82. Retrieved 13 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Glenn M. Andres (2005). Anne Callahan (ed.). "A Walking History of Middlebury / Middlebury Village Continued". midddigital.middlebury.edu. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
External links
edit- Amun-Her-Khepesh-Ef at Find a Grave
- Grave of the Mummy at roadsideamerica.com
- Jim H (10 March 2016). "Story Behind the Ancient Egyptian Prince in Vermont". historicmysteries.com. Retrieved 13 May 2020.