Tanis
Location
About
Tanis was the capital of Egypt during the 21st and 22nd Dynasties (c. 1069–715 BCE), a Delta city that served as the royal seat after the New Kingdom collapse forced the abandonment of the traditional Memphis-Thebes axis. It has been proposed by some scholars as the biblical city of Zoan.
Significance
Tanis produced the most significant royal treasure found in Egypt since Tutankhamun — the intact royal tombs discovered by Pierre Montet in 1939–1940, containing pharaonic mummies with golden masks, silver coffins, and spectacular jewelry that were overshadowed by the simultaneous fall of France.
History & Historical Arc
Tanis was built substantially from dismantled monuments of older sites, creating archaeological confusion about its true…
Archaeological Notes
Montet's discovery of six intact royal tombs in 1939–1940, including Psusennes I's solid silver coffin and golden burial…
Key Features & Structures
- Royal tombs of Psusennes I and Shoshenq II
- Temple of Amun
Visitor Information
Tanis is accessible from Cairo (about 120 km northeast); the site is open but less developed for tourism, and the royal …
Related Figures
In the Bible
Source References
- Montet, P., Les énigmes de Tanis (1952)
- Kitchen, K.A., The Third Intermediate Period in Egypt (1972)