Sesostris II was the fourth ancient Egyptian king (pharaoh) of the 12th Dynasty (Middle Kingdom). He reigned approximately from 1845/44 to 1837 BC (according to Beckerath: 1882 to 1872 BC). The Turin King List records a reign of 19 years. However, monuments from his reign suggest a reign of only 8 to 9 years.
Sesostris II Family
Sesostris II is generally considered to be the son of his predecessor, Amenemhet II, however, there is no concrete evidence to support this relationship. His wife was Chenmetneferhedjet I the Elder, who lacks the title of “King’s Daughter” and was thus of commoner origin.
Nofret II, whose seated statues were found in Tanis and who was closely associated with the king, is considered to be his daughter, as she does not bear the title “King’s Wife”. A king’s daughter named Neferet is mentioned along with other members of the royal family on a papyrus from Lahun, now in Berlin.
Other daughters were Itakayt (II) and possibly Sithathoriunet. Known sons include the crown prince Sesostris III and Sesostris-Senebwer.
Reign Sesostris II ascended the throne as co-regent in the 32nd or 33rd regnal year of Amenemhet II. The co-regency lasted for three years until Amenemhet’s death in his 35th regnal year.
Sesostris’ reign was predominantly peaceful, as no military campaigns are recorded. Instead, several quarrying expeditions are attested, which served to obtain building materials.
Sesostris II’s Architectural Legacy
Among the greatest achievements of this ruler is the development and cultivation of the Faiyum region. To divert water from Lake Moeris and gain agricultural land, the king had several dams and canals constructed.
With the intensification of agriculture, the Faiyum experienced a boom and new settlements emerged. In addition, Sesostris II ordered the construction of monuments, such as the sanctuary at Qasr es-Sagha.
Many of these structures were never completed, as the king died before their completion. Later rulers continued the development of the Faiyum during the 12th Dynasty.
Little is known about the Sesostris II’s court. Inpy held the office of head of the gate guard and was buried near the Sesostris II’s pyramid. Important nomarchs of this time were Khnumhotep II of Beni Hassan, Sarenput II of Aswan, Uchhotep III of Mair, and Thothotep of El-Bershe.
Due to the long reign of his predecessor Amenemhet II, Sesostris II was probably already very old when he became co-regent, and died on the 14th of Peret IV.
The Elusive Legacy of Sesostris II
There is a particular lack of surviving evidence of Sesostris II. From Hierakonpolis comes a black granite statue of the king. Two further granite statues of Nofret were found in Tanis, which Ramses II may have had transported there.
Ramses also incorporated some stones from Sesostris’ pyramid chapel in Illahun into Ehnasja el-Medina near Hierakleopolis. From the Wadi Gasus on the Red Sea comes a stele that dates to the first year of his reign.
An inscription in the Wadi Hammamat recalls an expedition in the second year. The 35th/3rd years of the coregency are attested by an inscription near Aswan. Furthermore, the king is mentioned in the private tombs of the nomarchs Khnumhotep II and Thothotep in Beni Hassan and El-Bershe, respectively.
A headless kneeling statuette bearing the personal and Horus names of Senusret II comes from the Hathor temple at the turquoise mines in Serabit el-Khadim. [10]
A small sandstone stela from the diorite mines at Toshka on the second cataract dates to the eighth year of reign and possibly indicates a peaceful Nubian policy.
Tomb of Sesostris II
Sesostris II chose the city of Illahun at the entrance to the Fayum Depression as the location for his pyramid complex. This decision was certainly linked to the king’s interests in this area.
The pyramid, of which today only a mud-brick core remains, was originally 49 meters high with a side length of 106 meters and resembled the construction of his grandfather, Sesostris I.
The pyramid consists of a limestone skeleton, filled with mud bricks and clad with limestone slabs. A significant innovation was a trench hewn into the rock around the tomb, filled with stones, which was intended to protect the underground burial chamber from intruding water.
For the first time, the entrance was not located in the middle of the north side of the pyramid, as was usual, but was hidden southwest beneath the tomb of a princess.
A 16-meter deep shaft leads down to a corridor, which at one point is interrupted by a well of unknown depth. Beyond this, the passage rises slightly and passes a large chamber and a side tunnel.
The passage ends in the burial chamber, where a red granite sarcophagus and an offering table dedicated to Osiris and Anubis stand. An opening in the northwest corner of the burial chamber leads via a circulating corridor back to the side tunnel.
Looting | The pyramid complex at Illahun
The pyramid complex at Illahun was repeatedly targeted by tomb robbers. Even under Ramses II, the limestone cladding of the pyramid was stripped, thereby programming the ruin of the structure. Flinders Petrie found the golden uraeus of Sesostris II in the pyramid rubble, which is now housed in the Cairo Museum.
Surroundings of the Tomb Within the pyramid complex, enclosed by a brick wall, besides the king’s pyramid, there is also a small queen’s pyramid and various mastabas of high court officials, which, however, were very destroyed.
An outstanding personality was probably the head of the gate guard, Inpy, who was also the director of all royal construction work throughout the country and may have directed the construction of the pyramid.
In the tomb of Sithathoriunet, which, together with other princess tombs, is located on the southeast side, besides the sarcophagus and canopic jars, golden rings, necklaces, pectorals, a diadem, and much more were found.
A small temple, decorated with beautiful painted reliefs, was dismantled during the time of Ramses II.
Valley Temple and Pyramid City
Plan of the pyramid city of Kahun
1.5 kilometers to the east was the valley temple, although it does not appear to have been connected to the pyramid. In the temple area, several important papyri (Lahun papyri) were recovered, providing insights into the economy and administration, as well as medicine, religion, astronomy, and literature during the 12th Dynasty. Most date to the reign of Senusret III.
In 1889, Flinders Petrie unearthed a well-planned, rectangular pyramid town near the modern-day site of Kahun. This city, designed with uniformity, was home to over 5,000 residents at its peak. Its inhabitants included royal officials, priests, and the skilled workers and laborers who contributed to the construction of the nearby pyramid complex.
Reign Duration of Sesostris II
According to Manetho, Sesostris II and Sesostris III are counted as one king with a combined reign of 48 years. The Turin Papyrus assigns 19 years to Sesostris II, which would correspond to the presumed period of sole rule of Sesostris III.
Jurgen von Beckerath therefore considers a transposition of the data in the Turin Papyrus possible and assigns the 10+x years listed under Amenemhet II to Sesostris II.
| Ruler | Total Reign | Reigning Years According to Turin Papyrus | New Assignment (according to Beckerath) |
| Amenemhet II | 34+x | 10(+x?) | 30(+x) |
| Sesostris II | 8+x | 19 | 10 |
| Sesostris III | 19+x | 30(+x) | 19 |
The highest contemporary attested regnal year for Sesostris II is year 8 or 9, found on a stela from the quarries at Toshka in Lower Nubia. Most Egyptologists, such as Thomas Schneider, Ian Shaw, or Darrell D. Baker, advocate for a short reign of 8 years.
