Figure 1: Hatshepsut |
Ancient Egyptians are known for several accomplishments: their
great pyramids, their
mummies, their
attention to beauty, and their long line of pharaohs. Individuals like King Tut, Ramses, and Akhenaton
are well documented and discussed in both the literature and popular historical
record. While many of the Egyptian
Pharaohs were men there were at least four female pharaohs: Merneith of the
Early Dynastic Period, Sobeknefru and Twosret of the Middle Kingdom, Cleopatra
of the Ptolemic Period, and Hatshepsut, one of the most successful and powerful
Pharaohs in Egyptian history (Figure 1). She is the
subject of today’s blog post, which will explore her life, successes, and rediscovery.
Hatshepsut was born in 1508 BCE. She
was his only legitimate child birthed by Thutmose I and his primary wife. He passed away when she was young, and she was
married to her half brother, Thutmose II, who was her father and one of his
secondary wife’s son. At the time of her
marriage she was coronated as the God’s Wife of Amun, which gave her the power
to dictate policy, participate in specific rituals, and identified her as a divine
being. She ruled alongside her half brother/husband
serving as his dutiful wife and Queen of Egypt, and they had one daughter together. Thutmose II had several concubines or
secondary wives, and with one he birthed his only son, Thutmose III.
Unfortunately, Thutmose II’s reign only lasted two years,
and upon his death his son, an infant, was too young to ascend the throne. Hatshepsut initially took on the role of
regent, ruling over Egypt in her stepson’s place, but shortly thereafter she seized
control and crowned herself Pharaoh of Egypt.
She did so by gaining favor of her father’s former advisors and heads of
state, as well as used artistic progaganda to convince the citizens of Egypt
that she was the divine ruler of Egypt as she was not only the Wife of Amun but
also his daughter. Several reliefs,
including the one at Djeser-djeseru, portrayed this tale. She also installed herself as a male ruler in artistic
depictions of herself, dawning male clothing, crown, and wearing a beard. Ultimately, she won over both the Egyptian
elites and commoners, and she began her twenty-year rule as Pharaoh in 1478 BCE.
Figure 2: Hatshepsut's temple in the Valley of the Kings |
During her tenure as Pharaoh Hatshepsut was responsible for
restoring monuments that has been destroyed during previous invasions by Asian
foreigners. She also created new trade
networks with outside kingdoms throughout Asia and the Mediterranean, improving
the economic conditions for all throughout Egypt. She fostered in a new artistic movement that
was softer than previous styles, as well as commissioned the building of
various temples, obelisks, and her own mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahri (Figure 2). She commissioned her stepson to be the
general of the Egyptian army, married him to her daughter, and allowed him to keep
his status as King, although he had less power than she did as Pharaoh.
She died in early 1458 BCE, and Thutmose III ascended the throne,
finally taking his place as Pharaoh over Egypt.
Sometime after his ascension he commissioned the removal of all of Hatshepsut’s
names from the records and buried her tomb.
He took credit for all of her accomplishments and it does not appear
that he had any independent of hers. She
was largely erased from Egyptian history, although some scholars were able to
learn a little about her but without her full name. Howard Carter eventually discovered her tomb
and rediscovered her story in 1903, which is how and why we know about her
today.
References
Biography.com Editors. (2014, April 2). Hatshepsut
Biography. Retrieved from The Biography.com website:
https://www.biography.com/people/hatshepsut-9331094
Cullman, D., & Cullman, L. B. (2006). Hatshepsut:
From Queen to Pharaoh. Retrieved from Metropolitan Museum of Art:
https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2006/hatshepsut
Mark, J. J. (2016, October 19). Hatshepsut.
Retrieved from Ancient History Encyclopedia:
https://www.ancient.eu/hatshepsut/
No Author. (2006, March 15). Hatshepsut.
Retrieved from PBS:
https://www.pbs.org/empires/egypt/newkingdom/hatshepsut.html
No Author. (No Date). Hatshepsut. Retrieved
from Brooklyn Museum:
https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/eascfa/dinner_party/place_settings/hatshepsut