Khaemweset: The First Egyptologist

The Egyptian prince Khaemweset was instrumental in the restoration of pyramids and temples over a thousand years old. He was a wise scholar, always dedicated to the study of ancient monuments and documents. In many ways, he is known as the first Egyptologist.
During the golden age of ancient Egypt, the powerful Pharaohs were always trying to extend Egypt’s influence to other lands. Usually, the eldest son of the pharaoh would succeed to the throne. Although the younger sons and daughters of the pharaohs were not rulers, they also played an important role in the history of ancient Egypt. Prominent among them was prince Khaemweset, the fourth son of Pharaoh Ramesses II or Ramesses the Great.

Bust of Prince Khaemweset. Photo: Keith Schengili-Roberts Ramesses II was one of the most famous rulers of ancient Egypt from 1279 to 1213 BC. He was the third Pharaoh of the 19th Dynasty. He had 50 sons and between 40 and 53 daughters. During this period, Egyptian princes held important positions in the court, such as becoming high priests or commanders of the army, and Khaemweset was no exception. Khaemweset’s childhood is detailed on reliefs in three temples in Nubia. He grew up during a tumultuous period in ancient Egyptian history, when his grandfather and father waged war against the Hittite Empire to restore and expand the territory. During the famous Battle of Kadesh – the battle between Ramesses II and the Hittite king Muwatalli II – Khaemweset was also present and acted as an important assistant to his father. He was even tasked with managing prisoners of war. In temple paintings and hieroglyphs, we see him participating in many other major campaigns such as the Battle of Dapur to conquer Syria and the Siege of Qode. In 1263 BC, Khaemweset became a priest of the Temple of Ptah in Memphis when he was only 18 years old. The priest was a very important position in the temple system. They are responsible for performing sacrifices, worshiping and reciting funeral mantras. As a priest, Khaemweset presided over many important ceremonies, including the embalming and burial of several Apis bulls. This is a sacred animal worshiped in Memphis, because the Egyptians believed that they were the sons of the goddess Hathor. Khaemweset was responsible for overseeing the daily rituals in Memphis, mainly in honor of the god Ptah. He redesigned the Serapeum temple in Saqqara, where Apis bulls were buried. He dug a long and wide tunnel beneath the temple. There are many burial chambers on both sides of the tunnel [một dạng phòng trưng bày], where Apis bulls would be buried in a lavish and rich manner. In 1850, the French archaeologist Auguste Mariette thoroughly excavated the temple of the Serapeum. However, most of the rooms built on Khaemweset’s orders were empty, and most likely they were looted in ancient times. During his time, Khaemweset restored the famous pyramid of Djoser. Photo: Charles James Sharp. Khaemweset left an important mark on the history of ancient Egypt, not only in his time but also in the present day. During his lifetime, he repaired and restored countless temples, ancient ruins, and burial sites. Because the history of Egypt spans many centuries, many old monuments and burial places of early Pharaohs or courtiers are lost and ruined. Khaemweset spent a lot of time and effort identifying their identities and restoring these monuments and structures, making them as magnificent as before. The most prominent of them is the tomb of Pharaoh Shepseskaf [người cai trị Ai Cập khoảng năm 2510 trước Công nguyên]; pyramid of Pharaoh Unas [người trị vì Ai Cập năm 2345–2315 trước Công nguyên]; pyramid of Pharaoh Sahure in the early 25th century BC; Userkaf’s pyramid; and the famous pyramid of Djoser. This is how he revived the history of Egypt and kept it from being forgotten. Khaemweset’s great merits are recorded on the walls of the pyramids he restored. Some hieroglyphic texts also describe him bringing gifts and offerings to the deceased gods and pharaohs. This shows his understanding of the importance of worship in ancient Egypt. In many ways, Khaemweset is known as the first Egyptologist, as well as one of the first archaeologists in history. Miriam Lichtheim, the famous translator of many ancient Egyptian texts, wrote of Khaemweset as follows: “Khaemweset was an archeology enthusiast. As a priest, he inspected many damaged tombs and rebuilt them. We know him as a wise scholar, dedicated to the study of ancient monuments and documents.” So far, archaeologists have not been able to determine Khaemwese’s final resting place. It is also not known exactly when or how he died. He most likely died before his father, around 1225 BC. He was about 55 years old then. During excavations of the Serapeum temple in Saqqara, French archaeologist Auguste Mariette discovered the collapsed part of a tunnel. After blowing away debris with gunpowder, he found a coffin, inside was a mummy with a gold mask that seemed to represent a dead man. The rich jewelry accompanying the mummy all bears the name of Prince Khaemweset, son of Ramesses II. However, this mummy is not human but a mass of myrrh and some scattered bones, most likely belonging to a bull. It is therefore speculated that this mummy was essentially a sacrificial Apis bull. It was created to look like a human body, specifically Prince Khaemweset. This leads scholars to believe that this is not the exact burial place of the prince. After his death, Khaemweset and his deeds lived forever in the memory of the Egyptian people. He became the central figure of several heroic stories in later centuries of Egypt, mainly during the Hellenistic period, such as “Setne Khamwas and Naneferkaptah”, “The Tale of Setne Khamwas”, “The Story of Setne Khamwas”. and Si-Osire”. In these stories, Khaemweset is called Setne Khamwas.