Editing Piye (section)

==Length of reign ==
[[File:Stele Piye submission Mariette.jpg|thumb|left|Detail of a drawing of the [[Stele of Piye|Victory stele]]: Piye (left, partially erased) is tributed by four Nile Delta rulers: [[Nimlot of Hermopolis|Nimlot]] standing, and kneeling from left to right, [[Osorkon IV|Osorkon (IV)]], [[Iuput II|Iuput (II)]] and [[Peftjauawybast]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Leahy |first1=Anthony |title=Royal Iconography and Dynastic Change, 750-525 BC: The Blue and Cap Crowns |journal=The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology |date=1992 |volume=78 |page=227, and Plate XXVI |doi=10.2307/3822074 |jstor=3822074 |issn=0307-5133}}</ref>]]
Piye's highest known date was long thought to be the "Year 24 III [[Season of the Inundation|Akhet]] day 10" date mentioned in the "Smaller Dakhla Stela" ([[Ashmolean Museum]] No.1894) from the [[Set (deity)|Sutekh]] temple of [[Mut el-Kharab]] in the [[Dakhla Oasis]].<ref>{{Cite journal | doi = 10.2307/3855921 | issn = 0307-5133 | volume = 54 | pages = 165–172 | last = Janssen | first = Jac. J. | title = The Smaller Dâkhla Stela (Ashmolean Museum No. 1894. 107 b) | journal = The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology | date = 1968-08-01 | jstor = 3855921 }}</ref> However, reliefs from the Great Temple at Gebel Barkal depict Piye celebrating a [[Heb Sed|Heb Sed Festival]]. Such festivals were traditionally celebrated in a king's 30th Year. It is debated whether the reliefs portrayed historical events, or were prepared in advance for the festival—in which case Piye might have died before his 30th regnal year. Piye is also attested by two papyri dated to Year 21 and 22 of his reign where he is named  Pharaoh "Piye Si-Ese Meryamun" which is undoubtedly this king's name.<ref>Kenneth Kitchen, ''The Third Intermediate Period in Egypt (1100–650 BC)''. 3rd ed. (1996) Warminster: Aris & Phillips S123</ref> 

[[Kenneth Kitchen]] has suggested a reign of 31 years for Piye, based on the Year 8 donation stela of a king Shepsesre Tefnakht who is commonly viewed as Piye's opponent.<ref>Kenneth Kitchen, ''The Third Intermediate Period in Egypt (1100–650 BC)''. 3rd ed. (1996) Warminster: Aris & Phillips</ref> A dissenting opinion came from [[:fr:Olivier Perdu|Olivier Perdu]] in 2002, who believes that this stela refers instead to the later king [[Tefnakht II]] because of stylistic similarities to another, dated to Year 2 of [[Necho I]]'s reign.<ref>Olivier Perdu, ''"De Stéphinatès à Néchao ou les débuts de la XXVIe dynastie"'', ''Compte-rendus de l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres (CRAIBL) ''2002, pp.&nbsp;1215–1244</ref><ref>Olivier Perdu, ''"La Chefferie de Sébennytos de Piankhy à Psammétique Ier"'', ''RdE'' 55 (2004), pp.&nbsp;95–111</ref> Secondly, Kitchen observes that:
{{block quote|A fragmentary bandage from Western Thebes bears an obscure date of Sneferre Piankhy [or Piye]. The visible traces indicate ‘Regnal Year 20', a patch and trace (the latter compatible with a ‘10'), and a shallow sign perhaps an otiose ''t''. In other words, we here have a date higher than Year 20 of Piankhy [or Piye], and very possibly Year 30 - which would fit very well with the 31 years’ minimum reign which has been already inferred on independent grounds.<ref>Kenneth Kitchen, ''The Third Intermediate Period in Egypt (1100–650 BC)''. 3rd ed. (1996) Warminster: Aris & Phillips S123</ref>}}