The Amenhotep III Plaques from Mycenae: comparison, contrast and a question of chronology
Jacke Phillips

In 1886 and 1890, Ch. Tsountas found several faience 'plaque' fragments inscribed with the names and titles of Amenhotep III, whilst fragments of others later were recovered by G.E. Mylonas and W.D. Taylour in the 1960s. Another recently has come to light in the excavation storerooms at Mycenae. Direct comparanda for the plaques are not forthcoming, even in Egypt, and they have been the source of many theories regarding the relationship between Egypt and Mycenae, especially between Amenhotep III and those who ruled Mycenae during his reign. But the plaques themselves have not been directly and intimately studied until now. The author's study indicates several key features of the plaques, not recognised before, that allow their place in the complex relationship between Mycenae and Egypt to be more specifically understood and for previous contentions to be discarded.