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. . . .About four years into his reign, the Pharaoh Amenhotep IV changed his name to Akhenaten. This marked the begining of the most dramatic changes in ancient Egypt. Flinging into chaos a society that prided itself on the ideals of tradition and stability. This is known as the Amarna period. You can see by the images above, the art of Egypt no longer portrayed the pharaoh as a perfect human specimen. Note the wide hips, thin waist, and facial features that radically depart from traditional Egyptian styles. Was Akhenaten afflicted or perhaps deformed? Most scholars believe that it was simply an artistic convention. Religion also changed drastically during this period; Akhenaten abolished the worship of many gods and brought about a monotheistic religion. His new god was called, Aten. Aten was described as being the creative force in the universe. It manifested itself as a solar disc with rays extending out, ending as hands. |
