Skip to main content

Primary sourceDocument18th Dynasty, Amarna period

Tomb TT139 of Pairy

18th Dynasty, Amarna period

A noble's tomb at Sheikh Abd el-Qurna containing a dated inscription naming the female ruler Ankhkheperure Neferneferuaten, linked to the debate over Nefertiti's reign.

A dated inscription in this tomb naming a female ruler is central evidence in debates over whether Nefertiti became pharaoh.

Ask Queen Nefereti about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Wide view of a dry, stony desert hillside in the Valley of the Nobles near Luxor. Low mudbrick and concrete structures, a rectangular stone wall foundation, and rubble sit in the foreground. Green fields and a town lie in the distance under a clear blue sky.
Tomb TT139, Sheikh Abd el-Qurna, Luxor, Egypt.

About this source

What it is

TT139 is the tomb of Pairy, a wab-priest of Amun and official who served under Amenhotep III, located at Sheikh Abd el-Qurna in the Theban Necropolis near Luxor. It contains painted wall scenes of Pairy, his wife and family, and funerary rituals.

Why it matters

One inscription above a doorway is dated to Year 3 of the female king Ankhkheperure Neferneferuaten, with hymns to the god Amun written by a scribe named Pawah. This dated text is key evidence used by historians debating whether Nefertiti ruled Egypt as a female pharaoh after Akhenaten's death.

Look closer

  • Why might a tomb built for a priest contain clues about a royal succession?
  • What does the careful dating of inscriptions tell us about how ancient Egyptians recorded time?
  • What is missing from this evidence that would let us be certain about who Ankhkheperure Neferneferuaten was?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Queen Nefereti on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More Queen Nefereti sources

Meet the AI Queen Nefereti →
Painted limestone bust of an Egyptian queen wearing a tall blue crown with a red and green band and a gold-colored brow band. The eyes are inlaid with dark outlines, and the bust rests on a dark base against a black background.Sculpture

Primary source

Bust of Queen Nefertiti

Thutmose · c. 1345 BC

Black-and-white photograph of a painted bust of a woman with a tall flat-topped crown, side-facing, on a dark rectangular pedestal set on a pale plinth. The collar has striped and patterned bands.Sculpture

Primary source

Figure of Nefertiti

Close-up detail of an Amarna limestone relief. A seated woman wearing a tall flat-topped crown is at right, with a sun disc and rays above. At left, a smaller figure with a child's head is seated near her, and carved hieroglyphs fill the background.Sculpture

Primary source

Akhenaten and His Family

c. 1352 BC

Photo of a curved, blue glazed ceramic fragment with white body edge, covered in raised concentric ring motifs with dots. Two holes pierce the piece near its center, with a scale bar along the bottom.Sculpture

Primary source

Relief Fragment Showing the Blue Crown of Nefertiti

Black-and-white line drawing of columns of Egyptian hieroglyphic text arranged in vertical lines, with cartouches visible, copied from a wall inscription. This is a facsimile of the Great Hymn to the Aten.Document

Primary source

Great Hymn to the Aten

Akhenaten · c. 1350 BC

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Queen Nefereti now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions