Mummy of a Prince (possibly son of Tiye and AmenH๏τep, Thutmose)

This mummy of the adolescent boy was found between the mummy of Queen Tiye and her daughter (The Younger Lady) in Tomb KV35.

Some scholars suggest this mummy could be the first son of AmenH๏τep III and Queen Tiye, who died as a youth; Prince Thutmose. However, this has not been verified as yet and this young male remains unnamed.

Mummy of a young Prince (possibly son of Tiye & AmenH๏τep, Thutmose)
Mummy of a young Prince (possibly son of Tiye & AmenH๏τep, Thutmose)

As you can see, this young boy has the hairstyle present which Egyptologists ᴀssociate with youth and rather appropriately call the ‘side-lock of youth’; a bald head and a lone long plait of hair growing only from the crown of the boy’s head (here we see the boy has long brown wavy tresses, perhaps the plait has come undone). This distinguishable way of shaving the head was typical of the Ancient Egyptian style for children of both Sєxes and princes, and can be seen in many reliefs and statuettes across the entire Dynastic age. It is also ᴀssociated with the lunar deity Khonsu.

The boy’s youth is also obvious by a glance of his stature alone, as he is noticeably smaller than the two adult females he was placed between (later identified as Queen Tiye and her daughter, who would come to be identified as the mother of Tutankhamun).

The unknown prince at rest in KV35
The unknown prince at rest in KV35

There are at least two possible suspects for this young boy’s idenтιтy, one being Prince Webensenu, son of AmenH๏τep II and brother of Thutmose IV, and the other, the young Prince Thutmose.

Prince Thutmose was the eldest son of Queen Tiye and AmenH๏τep III who died as a youth and thus, his brother AmenH๏τep IV (Akhenaten) became heir and king of Egypt.

Prince Thutmose is most famous for his adoration for his pet cat Ta-Miu, leading to him having a personal sarcophagus built for the ‘little mewer’ he loved so much.

Mummy of a young Prince possibly son of Tiye and AmenH๏τep III, Thutmose
Mummy of a young Prince possibly son of Tiye and AmenH๏τep III, Thutmose

(The sarcophagus for Ta-Miu is now in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo. JE 30172. Read more and see pictures here).

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