Dynasty:

Psusennes I was one of the first kings of the 21st Dynasty.

History:

The importance of King Psusennes I is probably because of the discovery of his intact tomb during the excavation of Tanis. He followed his brother Smendes on the throne.

One of his daughters, Esemkhebe, married one of the Theban High Priests (Menkheperre - his brother).

Psusennes and Menkheperre held their respective offices for over half a century.

Psusennes I took the unprecedented step of adopting the title of "High Priest of Amun" (in the same way that the Theban priests had taken royal titles), it is thought to once again assert the Pharaoh's authority over the Theban priests. His wife, Mutnodjme , also his sister, also adopted the titles of the female counterpart of the High Priest of Amun . At Tanis built temples to the Theban deities to provide an alternative centre of worship for the gods and therefore break the High Priests power.

Psusennes was also married to the Lady Wiay. It is possible to positively identify two of his children:

Monuments:

King Psusennes I had more of a reputation of a builder than those of his predecessors of the 21st Dynasty.He built a great mudbrick enclosure wall at Tanis to protect the temples that he constructed there to Amun , Mut and Khonsu and also the royal tomb , outside Tanis very little of his work has survived.

His mummy was found in the tomb and was that of an old man. Also is the tomb was a second burial chamber was for his sister and wife, Queen Mutnodjme. At some time later, her mummy and funerary objects were removed. King Amunemope's mummy and funerary objects were placed there after he was moved from another tomb that was not too far away. There were also several other mummies found in this tomb as well. These mummies were thought to have been placed here to be protected from the destruction of the other tombs around.