Inventory number

General description

Change in a monarch’s reign

The importance of the text on this fragment lies in lines 4 and 6 of the verso (back). The few incomplete lines doubtlessly present fragmentary journal notes, in view of the paleography dating to the second half of the 20th Dynasty. The dates in lines 4 and 6 indicate a change in a monarch’s reign between a Regnal Year 4 and a Regnal Year 1. The only king in the second half of the 20th Dynasty who reigned for a brief period was Ramesses X. So far, this king was thought to have reigned for 3 years, based on the evidence of the so-called "Journal of Year 3" (P. Turin Cat. 1898 + Cat. 1937 + Cat. 2094/244). The last date mentioned in this journal text is Year 3 (recto 7, 27). Based on the text of the Turin fragment under discussion here his reign continued, however, after Year 3 Month II of Ax.t for more than a year until sometime between Month III and Month IV of Ax.t of Year 4. The accession date of Ramesses X fell on I pr.t 27. Consequently, his reign lasted almost 10 months into his fourth regnal year. The last date of the reign of Ramesses X coincides with the accession date of his successor Ramesses XI and therefore took place in the same period between Month III Ax.t and Month IV Ax.t.