tions in favour of this hypothesis, afforded by the
monuments, are so strong that many historians of ancient
Egypt have accepted it. Queen Nofritari is represented as
reigning, side by side with her reigning son, on some few
Theban tombs which can be attributed to their epoch.

[Illustration: 136.jpg NOFRITARI, HIE BLACK-SKINNED GODDESS]

Drawn by Bouclier, from the photograph by M. de Mertens
taken in the Berlin Museum.

The aged Ahhotpu, who, like Nofritari, was of pure royal descent, and
who might well have urged her superior rank, had been content to retire
in favour of her children; she lived to the tenth year of her grandson's
reign, respected by all her family, but abstaining from all interference
in political affairs. When at length she passed away, full of days and
honour, she was embalmed with special care, and her body was placed in
a gilded mummy-case, the head of which presented a faithful copy of
her features. Beside her were piled the jewels she had received in her
lifetime from her husband and son. The majority of them a fan with a
handle plated with gold, a mirror of gilt bronze with ebony handle,
bracelets and ankle-rings, some of solid and some of hollow gold, edged
with fine chains of plaited gold wire, others formed of beads of gold,
lapis-lazuli, cornelian, and green felspar, many of them engraved with
the cartouche of Ahmosis. Belonging also to Ahmosis we have a beautiful
quiver, in which figures of the king and the gods stand out in high
relief on a gold plaque, delicately chased with a graving tool; the
background is formed of small pieces of lapis and blue glass, cunningly
cut to fit each other. One bracelet in particular, found on the
queen's wrist, consisted of three parallel bands of solid gold set with
turquoises, and having, a vulture with extended wings on the front. The
queen's hair was held in place by a gold circlet, scarcely as large as
a bracelet; a cartouche was affixed to the circlet, bearing the name of
Ahmosis in blue paste, and flanked by small sphinxes, one on each side,
as supporters. A thick flexible chain of gold was passed several times
round her neck, and attached to it as a pendant was a beautiful scarab,
partly of gold and partly of blue porcelain striped with gold. The
breast ornament was completed by a necklace of several rows of twisted
cords, from which depended antelopes pursued by tigers, sitting
jackals, hawks, vultures, and the win