AMENEMHET II

flourished 19th century BC king of Egypt (reigned 187642 BC), grandson of Amenemhet I (founder of the 12th dynasty). He furthered Egypt's trade relations and internal development. While he was coregent with his father, Sesostris I, Amenemhet led a gold-mining expedition to Nubia. Later, during his own reign, more expeditions went to Nubia and Sinai for gold and copper, a new mine shaft was opened in Sinai, and a trade venture was made to Punt, on the African coast near modern Ethiopia. Statues of Amenemhet have been found at several Syrian cities; and treasure of his reign discovered in a temple at Tawd, a town in Upper Egypt, reveals Cretan and Syrian stylistic patterns, verifying foreign contacts. Within Egypt the provincial governors continued to play key administrative roles, and fine tombs were provided them near their hometowns. Amenemhet's pyramid tomb, built at Dahshur, south of Memphis, was patterned after his father's, with a fine limestone casing built over mud-brick retaining walls and a rubble core. Near it was found the jewelry belonging to a daughter of Amenemhet, revealing the artistic heights of his reign.