Ptahmes, meaning the one born of the God Ptah, was an official of the highest rank during the late reign of Seti I and much of Ramses II. At the Egyptian Museum in Florence, Italy there are a few items that belonged to this man. One of Which is a pillar from his tomb, with what appears to be a royal prince featured…let us take a closer look into this Ancient Egyptian’s life, and death.
Not to be confused with Ptahmose who was the personal tutor and scribe of Amenhotep III and who’s life I thoroughly investigated in my book “Egypt Through The Ages” by piecing pieces together from several museum around the world. PTAHMES however, started his career under Seti where he was Seti’s royal scribe, who was promoted to overseer of the treasury, he then became an army Chief. Ptahmes had a brother called Ptahser who was the army general of Seti then Ramses. After they fought in battle alongside Seti and young prince Ramses in Lebanon, upon their triumph they returned to Egypt where Seti awarded Ptahmes by making him the Mayor of Memphis.
The battle of Seti against the Lebanese is documented on the outer walls of Karnak by his son Ramses, where many scenes are visible such as the King of Lebanon giving a forest of trees to Seti.
The Return celebration shows Seti crossing the Nile (indicated by many fish and crocodiles surrounded by reeds on either side. Seti returned with 100 people from Lebanon who were coming to work for the king in Egypt. Many people are also shown bowing and offering bread, flowers & incense to Seti and his soldiers for winning the battle. The glyphs indicated that the return celebration took place in the Delta near Memphis.
WATCH A PREVIEW FROM THE 4 PART SERIES (EGYPT THROUGH THE AGES) WHERE WE LOOK CLOSER AT THIS BATTLE IN PART 3 "RAMSES EMPIRE"
A small image at the beginning of the list of arriving treasures is the Mayor of the city, holding his staff - it is his words that are retelling the story. The name is badly damaged, but a few remain to suggest it is Ptahmes. Since we know this story was retold by Ramses II after his fathers death, the logical Mayor in the Memphis delta region who could recount what treasures were brought back is non other than Ptahmes.
With this honour Pharaoh Seti also afforded Ptahmes and Ptahser tombs in the Saqqara which work was begun on shortly after their return. Ptahser’s tomb was unfinished and leads us to believe that he died before Ptahmes…possibly in battle later on when Ramses II became Pharaoh. During the start of Ramses’s reign, Ptahmes was yet again promoted to HIGH PRIEST OF AMUN in Thebes.
(The 1st Images of Ptahmes Tomb Taken by T. Davies in 1885, Ptahmes shown here as a mayor of the city)
The tomb of Ptahmes was discovered in 1885 by Theodor Davies and was plundered, with most artefacts being sold to museums in The Netherlands, USA and Italy.
(T. Davies With Some Finds at. Saqqara)
However the tombs location at Saqqara would be lost for 125 years. The sands and engulfed the tombs of both Ptahmes and Ptahser. It wasn’t until 2010 when Egyptian students found the tomb between the pyramid of Djoser and Unas.
Many objects were found in the tomb, some that would not have been of any interest to treasure hunters, but are a wonder for Egyptologists! Several Stele, shabtis and even an unfinished alabaster bust of Ptahmes’s daughter.
Possibly the most interesting find was a large clay pot containing cheese! Dating back 3500 years this was the oldest piece of cheese ever found.
This 70metre long tomb was already plundered during the early christian period, where several of the pillars were taken out to be used to build Coptic churches. Thus in 1885 the only real valuable objects where the wall fragments, pillars and a large limestone statue of Ptahmes himself seated wearing a very typical 19th Dynasty dress, and a long wig which was unusual as all scenes in the tomb show Ptahmes as bald… possibly the statue was made early while he was still mayor, since male priests had to shave their heads.
The only other images of Ptahmes wearing this wig are Shabti figures.
The back of the Pillar of Ptahmes in Florence shows him in full form, bald head and all. With his on hand raised reading a prayer to the Djed pillar. The Djed pillar was a symbol of Osiris and his strength. This Djed pillar is not like most as it is topped with the typical osirian crown guarded by to Ureas Cobras.
On one side of this pillar is the standard of the goddess Tefnut, below holding the standard is what appears to be an Egyptian prince…he is wearing a royal robe and has the side lock symbolising youthful royalty.
However the glyphs are very badly damaged here and the name of the person is not visible.
On the best preserved side, is the same man, with the glyphs on the very right stating “The Ruler of Lower Egypt (THE DELTA REGION) Gives an Offering to the Lord Ptah” and to the left of that we can roughly make out “SA-RA” which means Son of the Sun.
When we examine this man close up, it is clear that he is not the owner of the tomb, and is featured as part of Ptahmes’s life. The royal robe and the ornate side lock can only be a prince, such as the son of Seti, RAMSES.
The man with the exact same features has been recorded along side Seti on several occasions, the kings list at Abydos for example, and on a pillar in Seti’s own tomb. Ramses is portrayed as a young prince, with a short beard, and an ornate side lock, wearing the cheetah skin dress of a priest, welcoming his father’s body into the tomb. This attire shown in a kings tomb would be done by his successor who would perform the opening of the mouth ceremony, as shown clearly in Tutankhamun’s tomb where Ay is dressed in the same manner performing the opening of the mouth ceremony.
The direct successor of Seti, was Rasmes.
Thus the man pictured with Ptahmes in on the Florence pillar is non other than the Pharaoh Ramses the second. Since Ptahmes was held in such high esteem by Ramses himself, and they clearly knew each other from a young age having fought in battles together, it is very likely that Ptahmes would have had Ramses shown somewhere in the tomb as was the custom for many Nobles and Dignitaries in the 19th Dynasty.
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