Storiascopio · Era 3 of 12 · primary year 4
The reign of Akhenaten
about 1353–1336 BC · Amarna, Egypt
In short
The pharaoh Amenhotep IV decided that people should worship above all one god, Aten, the disc of the sun, and changed his own name to Akhenaten. He had a new capital built in the desert, now called Amarna. Art changed too: the king and Queen Nefertiti were shown in family scenes, playing with their daughters. After his death the Egyptians went back to the old gods and tried to wipe out his memory.
Why it matters It was such a big religious change that historians still argue about what it meant.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Akhenaton”
Where we are in the era “River civilisations”
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about 4000 BCEvent 22 of 25about 1200 BC
Your turn
Name ______________________ Class ______ Date __________
When did it happen? Find the date at the top and write it here:
Tell it in your own words: what happened?
Draw the scene below.
storiascopio.com/en/event/the-reign-of-akhenaten/ · free worksheet, you may photocopy it for your class