Senwosret III 363Senwosret I was not interested in wholesale conquest
and limited his campaigns to the defense of Egypt’s bor-
ders and to the exploitation of available resources. He
also promoted trade with Crete and other Aegean isles
and with Palestine and Syria. Within Egypt, he was a pro-
lific builder, refurbishing the temple of RÉ-Atum in
HELIOPOLIS. The famed WHITE CHAPELdates to his reign,
and he is credited with establishing the core of the KAR-
NAKcomplex itself. He also erected two obelisks there.
Senwosret I was active in restoring the FAIYUM
region, adding to the irrigational monuments there. He
founded a temple to SEKHMET-Hathor at IMU, now called
Kom el-Hisn, the Mound of the Fort, in the Delta. The
temple was rectangular and contained a bark chapel and
pillars. He is also credited with building 35 separate reli-
gious structures from the Faiyum to the Delta.
A stone stela made for a temple in Heliopolis and
dating to Senwosret I’s reign was copied by a scribe serv-
ing AMENHOTEP III(r. 1391–1353 B.C.E.). Five hundred
years old when copied, the stela vanished. The copyindicates a text in the form of a poem, actually serv-
ing as a temple inscription commemorating an addi-
tion built by Senwosret I, given with other elaborate
donations.
The INSTRUCTIONS OF AMENEMHET Idate also to his
reign. His father was supposed to have dictated the
instructions, a text that warns of the perils of a weak
monarch. This work is also called Amenemhet’s Instruc-
tionsor the Testament of Amenemhet.
Senwosret I’s son and heir was AMENEMHET II, who
served as his coregent. His daughters were ITEKUYET,
NEFRU-SOBEK(2), NEFERU-PTAH(2), and Nenseddjedet.
They were buried with Senwosret I and Queen NEFRUSH-
ERIin el-LISHT, where a pyramidal complex was con-
structed. The pyramid was filled with rubble with a
limestone covering. Smaller pyramids served as gravesites
for the family members. The great pyramid was called
“Senwosret Surveys the Two Lands.”Senwosret II (Kha’kheperré)(d. 1878 B.C.E.) Fourth
ruler of the Twelfth Dynasty
He reigned from 1897 B.C.E. until his death. Senwosret II
was the son of AMENEMHET IIand probably Queen MERYET
(2). He served as coregent before his father died, and he
married NEFERT. Senwosret II was the patron of the
FAIYUMterritory of Egypt, starting a vast reclamation of
the region and restoring thousands of acres of marsh-
lands. He also campaigned in NUBIA(modern Sudan),
making that domain a province of Egypt. He constructed
a series of FORTRESSESon the Nile and built an 80-foot
wall at ELKABand another wall at ANIBA. Senwosret II,
seeing the growing independent minds of the nomarchs,
the landed nobility of Egypt, broke their power with
stern measures and taxes. He received tribute from Syria
and other lands and maintained a strong military pres-
ence at mines and quarries.
His son and heir was SENWOSRET III, born to Queen
WERERET. He also married Queen NEFERHENT (1). His
daughters were SIT-HATHOR, SIT-HATHOR YUNET, Itkayt, and
Neferet. Senwosret II was one of Egypt’s tallest pharaohs,
standing six feet, six inches tall and depicted in reliefs
and statues. He was buried in a pyramid complex
(KAHUN) at LAHUNcalled “Contented Is Senwosret,” or
Het-Hotep-Senwosret, “the House of Peace of Senwosret.”
This complex was erected on a rocky spur at Lahun, at
the mouth of the Faiyum. The pyramid was surrounded
by family mastaba tombs and was covered in limestone.
RAMESSES II(r. 1290–1224 B.C.E.) plundered the complex
to use the materials for his own projects.Senwosret III (Kha’kauré)(d. 1841 B.C.E.)Fifth ruler
of the Twelfth Dynasty
He reigned from 1878 B.C.E. until his death and was the
son of SENWOSRET IIand Queen WERERET. His Queens
were NEFERHENT(2), MERESGER(2), MERYET(1), NOFRET,A column from the White Chapel, built at Karnak by Senwosret I
ret I of the Twelfth Dynasty. The hieroglyphs depict the
pharaoh honoring the god Min with battle treasures.
(Courtesy Thierry Ailleret.)