Princess Ita

Princess Ita

During the long reign of the daughter of the pharaohs of ancient Egypt around 1850 BC contemporary records clearly show that the first king of this dynasty Amenemhat I initiated a significant expansion of Egypt's borders including advances into Nubia and the Levant marking the culmination of the Middle Kingdom It is evident that Amenemhat I moved the capital to a new city called "Amenemhat-Itj-Tawë" the "Conqueror of Two Lands" The exact location of Itj-Tawë remains unknown but it is believed to be near Fayoum possibly close to the royal cemetery at El-Lisht Princess Ita's burial beside the pyramid of Amenemhat II at Dahshur was found in remarkably good condition containing a beautifully decorated wooden sarcophagus with lengthy religious inscriptions including her name and precious personal jewelry

Princess Ita's Dagger

Ita was the daughter of a Pharaoh of the 12th Dynasty of ancient Egypt Princess Ita's dagger a lavishly decorated knife was found in her sarcophagus although it's unclear if the two women were the same person The location of the tomb may indicate she was indeed the daughter of Amenemhat II Princess Ita's dagger features a magnificent bronze blade mounted on a solid gold shoulder plate inlaid with a diagonal gold cross pattern The design on the handle is typical of Crete It's speculated that the dagger was imported from Bylos in Phoenicia or from Crete itself The hilt is made of forged gold and inlaid with lapis lazuli and green feldspar The crescent-shaped handle is light in color

Princess Ita is also known for the Sphinx statue found in Gatna modern-day Syria now housed in the Louvre In this statue Princess Ita is depicted as a noblewoman and daughter of a Pharaoh The earliest evidence of Amenemhat may come from the tomb of the nobleman of the same name buried at Beni Hasan Queen Keminub likely lived during the late 13th Dynasty and three "daughters of the king" Ita Itaveret and Kenmet may have been Amenemhat's daughters although there is no definitive evidence During a time of peace under a reign of flourishing trade with other states in Asia the Mediterranean and Africa he built his tomb near Memphis at Dahshur

Their tombs were discovered by Jacques de Morgan in 1894 The three princesses mentioned above Ita Itaveret and Kenmet contain their beautiful jewelry Princess Ita's tomb which remains remarkably well-preserved contains numerous priceless jewels mostly hidden within shrouds Unlike the others the tombs of Lady Sathathormerit Vizier Amenhotep and Queen Keminub the latter two which were looted in ancient times and date back to the later 13th Dynasty were found untouched It is a site that has not been used as a royal cemetery since the time of Sneferu and the Red Pyramid