Siptah

Siptah was a young pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty in the New Kingdom. He reigned about 1197 to 1191 BC, with dates uncertain by about five years. Placed on the throne as a child following the death of Seti II, his governance was managed by a regency headed by his stepmother, Queen Twosret, and the influential chancellor Bay, operating from the capital at Pi-Ramesses.

Physical examinations of his identified mummy show that he suffered from severe physical disability, likely the result of childhood poliomyelitis that left his left leg deformed. Despite his physical challenges, he reigned for roughly six years before dying in his late teens without leaving an heir, paving the way for Twosret to rule in her own right.

Siptah is attested through administrative documents, graffiti at the West Theban necropolis, and stelae. His burial was prepared in tomb KV47 in the Valley of the Kings, where he was interred before being relocated to tomb KV35 in later antiquity.

Monuments

• Tomb KV47

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Try the name on the Cartouche Desk, or see where the reign falls on the timeline.