Amenemhat II c. 1911–1877 BC
Son of Senusret I. His pyramid at Dahshur, the White Pyramid, was built of limestone and is now a heap of rubble. Four copper chests with his name, buried under the temple of Montu at Tod, held silver vessels, gold and lapis lazuli brought from abroad.
Throne name: Nubkaure
nbw-kꜣw-rꜥ: “The kas of Ra are golden”
Sign by sign
- Sun N5rꜥ The sun, the sun god Ra. Day.
- Gold collar S12nbw Gold.
- Raised arms D28kꜣ The ka, a person's life force.
- Raised arms D28kꜣ The ka, a person's life force.
- Raised arms D28kꜣ The ka, a person's life force.
Birth name: Amenemhat
imn-m-ḥꜣt: “Amun is at the front”
Sign by sign
- Flowering reed M17i The sound i.
- Game board Y5mn To remain, to endure (as in Amun).
- Ripple of water N35n The sound n. Also means 'of, to'.
- Owl G17m The sound m. Also means 'in'.
- Forepart of a lion F4ḥꜣt Front, beginning.
- Bread loaf X1t The sound t. Also the feminine ending.
Where to see Amenemhat II's name today
Read more about Amenemhat II
- Dahshur: Sneferu's pyramids and the marks their builders left Dahshur pyramids: Sneferu's Bent and Red Pyramids, the painted gang marks and dates on their blocks, and the Middle Kingdom finds now in museums.
- The 12th and 13th Dynasties: the Middle Kingdom in hieroglyphs The 12th dynasty of Egypt (c. 1985–1773 BC): the Amenemhats and Senusrets, their names read in hieroglyphs, then the short-lived kings of the 13th.
Names of gods (Ra, Amun, Ptah) are written first out of respect, even when they are read later. Dates are approximate; we follow Ian Shaw (ed.), The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (2000).