Akhenaton and his wife Nofretete personally chose the site of Akhetaton
and supervised the erection of the stelae which marked its boundaries.
In all, fourteen of these markers have been found on the hillsides east
and west of the Nile. They contain a longer and a shorter version of the
ceremony by which the site was consecrated. The shorter version tells
how, on the eighth month of the sixth year of Akhenaton's reign, he
mounted his golden chariot and journeyed northward from the richly
ornamented tent where he had passed the night to fix the limits of the
projected city of Akhetaton. After sacrificing to his god, Aton, he
drove southward to a spot where the rays of the sun shining on him
indicated where the southern boundary should be located. Here he swore
an oath by his father Aton, and by his hope that the queen and his two
(elder) daughters would attain old age, that he would never pass beyond
this boundary, and beyond two more on the east bank and three on the
west bank. All land within that area belonged to Aton, and should any
damage befall the stelae marking it, he would make it good. Mention is
made of a renewal of the oath in the eighth year.
The longer version adds some details. It tells how Akhenaton called his
courtiers and military commanders, explaining to them Aton's wish that
Akhetaton be built. Aton alone knew the site, and it is his alone. The
courtiers reply that all countries will send gifts to Aton. Akhenaton
praises his god and vows that he will never extend the city's
boundaries, nor allow his wife to persuade him to do so. Then he
enumerates the sanctuaries he will build at Akhetaton, ending with a
reference to his family tomb.[5]
The pledge never to extend the boundaries of Akhetaton is puzzling. It
seems to be a concession to the Amon priesthood that he will limit
Aton's holdings to the few miles of territory in the region of present
day Amarna. On the other hand the pledge may be merely the legal phrase
used by a property owner to indicate that he has no rights beyond his
own boundaries.