Misplaced Pages

#835164

78-455: The warrior kings of the early 18th Dynasty had encountered only little resistance from neighbouring kingdoms, allowing them to expand their realm of influence easily, but the international situation had changed radically towards the end of the dynasty. The Hittites had gradually extended their influence into Syria and Canaan to become a major power in international politics, a power that both Seti I and his son Ramesses II would confront in

156-517: A false beard and ram's horns. These images are seen as symbolic, and not evidence of cross-dressing or androgyny . Following the tradition of most pharaohs, Hatshepsut had monuments constructed at the Temple of Karnak . She also restored the original Precinct of Mut , the great ancient goddess of Egypt , at Karnak that had been ravaged by the foreign rulers during the Hyksos occupation. It later

234-595: A tomb when she was the Great Royal Wife of Thutmose II. Still, the scale of this was not suitable for a pharaoh, so when she ascended the throne, preparation for another burial started. For this, KV20 , originally quarried for her father, Thutmose I, and probably the first royal tomb in the Valley of the Kings , was extended with a new burial chamber. Hatshepsut also refurbished her father's burial and prepared for

312-475: A campaign against the Hittites was an unsupportable drain on Egypt's treasury and military. In his 21st regnal year, Ramesses signed the earliest recorded peace treaty with Urhi-Teshub 's successor, Hattusili III , and with that act Egypt-Hittite relations improved significantly. Ramesses II even married two Hittite princesses, the first after his second Sed Festival . This dynasty declined as infighting for

390-425: A collection of grave goods contained a single pottery jar or amphora from the tomb's chamber, stamped with the date "Year 7". Another jar from the same tomb, discovered in situ by a 1935–36 Metropolitan Museum of Art expedition on a hillside near Thebes , was stamped with the seal of the " God's Wife Hatshepsut", and two jars bore the seal of "The Good Goddess Maatkare". The dating of the amphorae, "sealed into

468-461: A double interment of both Thutmose I and her within KV20. Therefore, it is likely that when she died (no later than the 22nd year of her reign), she was interred in this tomb along with her father. However, during Thutmose III's reign, a new tomb ( KV38 ), was constructed along with fresh burial equipment for Thutmose I. Thus, Thutmose I was relocated from his original tomb and reburied elsewhere. There

546-485: A few years earlier than the conventional date of 1550 BC. The radiocarbon date range for its beginning is 1570–1544 BC, the mean point of which is 1557 BC. The pharaohs of Dynasty XVIII ruled for approximately 250 years (c. 1550–1298 BC). The dates and names in the table are taken from Dodson and Hilton. Many of the pharaohs were buried in the Valley of the Kings in Thebes (designated KV). More information can be found on

624-472: A lioness throne or bedstead, a senet game board with carved lioness-headed, red-jasper game pieces bearing her pharaonic title, a signet ring, and a partial shabti figurine bearing her name. In the Royal Mummy Cache at DB320 , a wooden canopic box featuring an ivory knob was found, bearing the name of Hatshepsut and containing a mummified liver or spleen, along with a molar tooth. There was also

702-539: A number of trade networks that had been disrupted during the Hyksos occupation of Egypt during the Second Intermediate Period . She oversaw the preparations and funding for a mission to the Land of Punt . Hatshepsut's delegation returned from Punt bearing 31 live myrrh trees and other luxuries such as frankincense . Hatshepsut would grind the charred frankincense into kohl eyeliner. This

780-550: A powerful role. This ensured that when the oracle declared her king, the Egyptian public readily accepted her status. However, as with other female heads of state in ancient Egypt, this was only done through the use of male symbols of kingship; hence the description of Hatshepsut and others as female kings rather than queens. Hatshepsut was arguably placed in power by men to further their own wealth. She gained power when Egypt had recently amassed extensive wealth, implying that she

858-414: A queen regnant called Amessis or Amensis, specified by Josephus as having been the sister of her predecessor. This woman was later identified by historians as Hatshepsut. In Josephus's text, her reign is described as lasting for 21 years and 9 months, while Africanus states it as 22 years, apparently rounding up . The latest attestation of Hatshepsut in contemporary records comes from Year 20 of

SECTION 10

#1732765886836

936-598: A revolt led by Setnakhte , founder of the 20th Dynasty . The pharaohs of the 19th Dynasty ruled for approximately 110 years: from c.  1292 to 1187 BC. Many of the pharaohs were buried in the Valley of the Kings in Thebes (designated KV). More information can be found on the Theban Mapping Project website. Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt The Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt (notated Dynasty XVIII , alternatively 18th Dynasty or Dynasty 18 )

1014-399: A royal lady with the same name from the 21st dynasty, leading to initial speculation that the artifacts may have belonged to her instead. In 1903, Howard Carter had discovered tomb KV60 in the Valley of the Kings. It contained two female mummies: one identified as Hatshepsut's wet nurse and the other unidentified. In spring 2007, the unidentified body, called KV60A, was finally removed from

1092-409: A threat to traditional gender roles. This raises questions about the conflict between power and traditional gender roles, and to what extent modernism and conservatism overlap. The erasure of Hatshepsut's name—by the men who succeeded her for whatever reason—almost caused her to disappear from Egypt's archaeological and written records. When 19th-century Egyptologists started to interpret the texts on

1170-525: Is a possibility that at the same time, Hatshepsut's mummy was moved into the tomb of her nurse, Sitre In , in KV60 . These actions could have been motivated by Amenhotep II , Thutmose III's son from a secondary wife, in an effort to secure his own uncertain claim to the throne. Besides what was recovered from KV20 during Egyptologist Howard Carter 's clearance of the tomb in 1903, other funerary furniture belonging to Hatshepsut has been found elsewhere, including

1248-608: Is classified as the first dynasty of the New Kingdom of Egypt , the era in which ancient Egypt achieved the peak of its power. The Eighteenth Dynasty spanned the period from 1550/1549 to 1292 BC. This dynasty is also known as the Thutmoside Dynasty ) for the four pharaohs named Thutmose . Several of Egypt's most famous pharaohs were from the Eighteenth Dynasty, including Tutankhamun , whose tomb

1326-541: Is common to virtually all royal inscriptions of Egyptian history. While all ancient leaders used it to laud their achievements, Hatshepsut has been called the most accomplished pharaoh at promoting her accomplishments. Hatshepsut assumed all the regalia and symbols of the Pharaonic office in official representations: the Khat head cloth, topped with the uraeus , the traditional false beard, and shendyt kilt. Hatshepsut

1404-550: Is known. In 1334 Akhenaten's son, Tutankhaten, ascended to the throne: shortly after, he restored Egyptian polytheist cult and subsequently changed his name in Tutankhamun , in honor to the Egyptian god Amun . His infant daughters, 317a and 317b mummies , represent the final genetically related generation of the Eighteenth Dynasty. The last two members of the Eighteenth Dynasty— Ay and Horemheb —became rulers from

1482-594: Is the first recorded use of the resin. Hatshepsut had the expedition commemorated in relief at Deir el-Bahari , which is also famous for its realistic depiction of Queen Ati of the Land of Punt. Hatshepsut also sent raiding expeditions to Byblos and the Sinai Peninsula shortly after the Punt expedition. Very little is known about these expeditions. Although many Egyptologists have claimed that her foreign policy

1560-474: The Hyksos that James P. Allen has translated. This temple was altered later, and some of its insides were altered by Seti I of the Nineteenth Dynasty in an attempt to have his name replace that of Hatshepsut. Following the tradition of many pharaohs, the masterpiece of Hatshepsut's building projects was a mortuary temple . She built hers in a complex at Deir el-Bahari . The identity of

1638-531: The Deir el-Bahari temple walls (which were illustrated with two seemingly male kings) their translations made no sense. Jean-François Champollion , the French decoder of hieroglyphs , said: If I felt somewhat surprised at seeing here, as elsewhere throughout the temple, the renowned Moeris [Thutmose III], adorned with all the insignia of royalty, giving place to this Amenenthe [Hatshepsut], for whose name we may search

SECTION 20

#1732765886836

1716-484: The Theban Mapping Project website. Several diplomatic marriages are known for the New Kingdom . These daughters of foreign kings are often only mentioned in cuneiform texts and are not known from other sources. The marriages were likely to have been a way to confirm good relations between these states. Hatshepsut This is an accepted version of this page Hatshepsut ( / h ɑː t ˈ ʃ ɛ p s ʊ t / haht- SHEPP -sut ; c.  1507–1458 BC)

1794-608: The Unfinished Obelisk , it provides evidence of how obelisks were quarried. Hatshepsut built the Temple of Pakhet at Beni Hasan in the Minya Governorate south of Al Minya . The name, Pakhet, was a synthesis that occurred by combining Bast and Sekhmet , who were similar lioness war goddesses, in an area that bordered the north and south division of their cults. The cavernous underground temple, cut into

1872-515: The [tomb's] burial chamber by the debris from Senenmut's own tomb", is undisputed, meaning that Hatshepsut was acknowledged as pharaoh of Egypt—and no longer merely regent—by Year 7 of her reign. She was certainly pharaoh by Year 9, the date of the Punt expedition, c.  1471 BC ; her last dated attestation as pharaoh is Year 20, c.  1460 BC , and she no longer appears in Year 22, c.  1458 . Hatshepsut re-established

1950-643: The architect behind the project remains unclear. It is possible that Senenmut , the Overseer of Works, or Hapuseneb , the High Priest, was responsible. It is also likely that Hatshepsut provided input to the project. Located opposite the city of Luxor , it is considered to be a masterpiece of ancient architecture. The complex's focal point was the Djeser-Djeseru or "the Holy of Holies". Hyperbole

2028-501: The area as Kush and it was administered by the Viceroy of Kush . The 18th dynasty obtained Nubian gold, animal skins, ivory, ebony, cattle, and horses, which were of exceptional quality. The Egyptians built temples throughout Nubia. One of the largest and most important temples was dedicated to Amun at Jebel Barkal in the city of Napata. This Temple of Amun was enlarged by later Egyptian and Nubian Pharaohs, such as Taharqa . After

2106-408: The beginning of Thutmose III's reign as sole ruler of Egypt—and presumably of Hatshepsut's death—is considered to be Year 22, II Peret, Day 10, recorded on a single stela erected at Armant , corresponding to 16 January 1458 BC. This information validates the basic reliability of Manetho's king list records since Hatshepsut's known accession date was I Shemu , Day 4. Hatshepsut began constructing

2184-417: The close of Thutmose III's reign, it is not clear why it happened, other than as a manifestation of the typical pattern of self-promotion that existed among the pharaohs and their administrators, or perhaps to save money by not building new monuments for the burial of Thutmose III, and instead using the grand structures built by Hatshepsut. Amenhotep II , the son of Thutmose III, who became a co-regent toward

2262-427: The death of her husband and half-brother Thutmose II , she had initially ruled as regent to her stepson , Thutmose III , who inherited the throne at the age of two. Several years into her regency, Hatshepsut assumed the position of pharaoh and adopted the full royal titulary , making her a co-ruler alongside Thutmose III. In order to establish herself in the Egyptian patriarchy, she took on traditionally male roles and

2340-592: The dignitaries, and the leaders of the people heard this proclamation of the promotion of his daughter, the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Maatkare—may she live eternally. Hatshepsut's last dated attestation as pharaoh is Year 20, III Peret , Day 2, c.  22 May 1459 BC , but the reign length of 21 years and 9 months for her by Manetho in Josephus 's book Contra Apionem indicates that she ceased to reign in Year 22, c.  1458 BC . The precise date of

2418-437: The end of his father's reign, is suspected by some as being the defacer during the end of the reign of a very old pharaoh. He would have had a motive because his position in the royal lineage was not so strong as to assure his elevation to pharaoh. He is documented, further, as having usurped many of Hatshepsut's accomplishments during his own reign. His reign is marked with attempts to break the royal lineage as well, not recording

Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt - Misplaced Pages Continue

2496-481: The end of the Hyksos period of foreign rule, the Eighteenth Dynasty engaged in a vigorous phase of expansionism, conquering vast areas of the Near-East , with especially Pharaoh Thutmose III submitting the "Shasu" Bedouins of northern Canaan , and the land of Retjenu , as far as Syria and Mittani in numerous military campaigns circa 1450 BC. Radiocarbon dating suggests that Dynasty XVIII may have started

2574-425: The end of the reign of Thutmose III and into the reign of his son Amenhotep II , an attempt was made to remove her from official accounts of Egyptian historiography: her statues were destroyed, her monuments were defaced, and many of her achievements were ascribed to other pharaohs. Many modern historians attribute this to ritual and religious reasons, rather than personal hostility as previously thought. Hatshepsut

2652-418: The evidence that Hatshepsut assumed traditionally male roles as pharaoh. She employed the great architect Ineni , who also had worked for her father, her husband, and for the royal steward Senenmut . The extant artifacts of the statuary provide archaeological evidence of Hatshepsut's portrayals of herself as a male pharaoh, with physically masculine traits and traditionally male Ancient Egyptian garb, such as

2730-507: The extent of which can only be compared with those of the much longer reign of Ramesses II during Dynasty XIX. Amenhotep III's consort was the Great Royal Wife Tiye , for whom he built an artificial lake, as described on eleven scarabs. Amenhotep III may have shared the throne for up to twelve years with his son Amenhotep IV. There is much debate about this proposed co-regency, with different experts considering that there

2808-545: The female pharaoh Sobekneferu , who failed to rejuvenate Egypt's fortunes and was therefore more acceptable to the conservative establishment as a tragic figure) and re-legitimise his right to rule. The "Hatshepsut Problem" is a direct link to gender normatives in regards to ancient Egyptian social structures. Although she did hold Queen status, her reign, especially after, was disregarded and even erased. Her reign could be considered more successful than some pharaohs' reigns, for example with expanding borders, which can be seen as

2886-469: The form of Thutmose I. Hatshepsut is conceived by Ahmose. Khnum , the god who forms the bodies of human children, is then instructed to create a body and ka , or corporal presence/life force, for Hatshepsut. Heket , the goddess of life and fertility, and Khnum then lead Ahmose along to a place where she gives birth to Hatshepsut. Reliefs depicting each step in these events are at Karnak and in her mortuary temple. The Oracle of Amun proclaimed that it

2964-564: The future. The New Kingdom of Egypt reached the zenith of its power under Seti I and Ramesses II ("The Great"), who campaigned vigorously against the Libyans and the Hittites. The city of Kadesh was first captured by Seti I, who decided to concede it to Muwatalli of Hatti in an informal peace treaty between Egypt and Hatti. Ramesses II later attempted unsuccessfully to alter this situation in his fifth regnal year by launching an attack on Kadesh in his Second Syrian campaign in 1274 BC ; he

3042-600: The greatest military pharaoh ever, also had a lengthy reign after becoming pharaoh. He had a second co-regency in his old age with his son Amenhotep II . Amenhotep II was succeeded by Thutmose IV , who in his turn was followed by his son Amenhotep III , whose reign is seen as a high point in this dynasty. Amenhotep III's reign was a period of unprecedented prosperity, artistic splendor, and international power, as attested by over 250 statues (more than any other pharaoh) and 200 large stone scarabs discovered from Syria to Nubia. Amenhotep III undertook large scale building programmes,

3120-427: The high and low estimates of her reign, although the length of the reigns of Thutmose I and Thutmose II cannot be determined with certainty. With short reigns, Hatshepsut would have ascended the throne 14 years after her father's coronation; longer reigns would put her accession 25 years after his coronation. The earliest attestation of Hatshepsut as pharaoh occurs in the tomb of Ramose and Hatnofer , where

3198-405: The mummy is that of Hatshepsut, it is likely that she inadvertently poisoned herself while trying to soothe her itchy, irritated skin. It also would suggest that she had arthritis and bad teeth, which may be why the tooth was removed. However, in 2011, the tooth was identified as the molar from a lower jaw, whereas the mummy from KV60 was missing a molar from its upper jaw, thus casting doubt on

Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt - Misplaced Pages Continue

3276-613: The mummy's identity, Hawass, the Cairo Museum and some Egyptologists have refused to do it as it would require destroying the tooth to retrieve the DNA. Her death has since been attributed to a benzopyrene carcinogenic skin lotion found in possession of the Pharaoh, which led to her having bone cancer . Other members of the queen's family are thought to have suffered from inflammatory skin diseases that tend to be genetic. Assuming that

3354-503: The names of his queens and eliminating the powerful titles and official roles of royal women, such as God's Wife of Amun. Some of these titles would be restored in the reign of his son Thutmose IV . For many years, presuming that it was Thutmose III acting out of resentment once he became pharaoh, early modern Egyptologists presumed that the erasures were similar to the Roman damnatio memoriae . Egyptologist Donald Redford says that this

3432-452: The only woman to have ever taken power as king in ancient Egypt during a time of prosperity and expansion." Historian Joyce Tyldesley stated that Thutmose III may have ordered public monuments to Hatshepsut and her achievements to be altered or destroyed in order to place her in a lower position of co-regent, meaning he could claim that royal succession ran directly from Thutmose II to Thutmose III without any interference from his aunt. This

3510-420: The ranks of officials in the royal court, although Ay might also have been the maternal uncle of Akhenaten as a fellow descendant of Yuya and Tjuyu . Ay may have married the widowed Great Royal Wife and young half-sister of Tutankhamun, Ankhesenamun , in order to obtain power; she did not live long afterward. Ay then married Tey , who was originally Nefertiti's wet-nurse. Ay's reign was short. His successor

3588-454: The regnal count of Thutmose III; she is no longer mentioned in Year 22, when he undertook his first major foreign campaign. This is compatible with the 21 years 9 months recorded by Manetho and Josephus, which would place the end of Hatshepsut's reign in Year 22 of Thutmose III. Dating the beginning of her reign is more difficult. Her father, Thutmose I, began his reign in either 1526 BC or 1506 BC according to

3666-577: The reign of Tutankhamun, when the statue was made. The cartouches of King Ay, Tutankhamun's successor appearing on the statue, were an attempt by an artisan to "update" the sculpture. The Eighteenth Dynasty empire conquered all of Lower Nubia under Thutmose I . By the reign of Thutmose III , the Egyptians directly controlled Nubia to the Nile river, 4th cataract, with Egyptian influence / tributaries extending beyond this point. The Egyptians referred to

3744-674: The rock cliffs on the eastern side of the Nile , was admired and called the Speos Artemidos by the Greeks during their occupation of Egypt, known as the Ptolemaic Dynasty . They saw the goddess as akin to their hunter goddess, Artemis. The temple is thought to have been built alongside much more ancient ones that have not survived. This temple has an architrave with a long dedicatory text bearing Hatshepsut's famous denunciation of

3822-429: The role of pharaoh, Hatshepsut was the only female ruler to do so in a time of prosperity, and she arguably had more powers than her female predecessors. Retrospectively, Hatshepsut was described by ancient authors as having reigned for about 21–22 years, which included both her regency and her reign as queen regnant. Josephus and Julius Africanus follow the earlier testimony of Manetho (3rd century BC), mentioning

3900-482: The royal lists in vain, still more astonished was I to find upon reading the inscriptions that wherever they referred to this bearded king in the usual dress of the Pharaohs, nouns and verbs were in the feminine, as though a queen were in question. I found the same peculiarity everywhere... This problem was a major issue in late 19th-century and early 20th-century Egyptology , centering on confusion and disagreement on

3978-416: The south up to Kanisah Kurgus beyond the fourth cataract of the Nile. Thutmose I was succeeded by Thutmose II and his queen, Hatshepsut , who was the daughter of Thutmose I. After her husband's death and a period of regency for her minor stepson (who would later become pharaoh as Thutmose III) Hatshepsut became pharaoh in her own right and ruled for over twenty years. Thutmose III , who became known as

SECTION 50

#1732765886836

4056-472: The subject of debate within the academic community. Some state that Akhenaten created a monotheism, while others point out that he merely suppressed a dominant solar cult by the assertion of another, while he never completely abandoned several other traditional deities. Later Egyptians considered this " Amarna Period " an unfortunate aberration. After his death, Akhenaten was succeeded by two short-lived pharaohs, Smenkhkare and Neferneferuaten , of which little

4134-532: The supposed identification. Toward the end of the reign of Thutmose III and into the reign of his son, an attempt was made to remove Hatshepsut from certain historical and pharaonic records. Her cartouches and images were chiselled off stone walls. Erasure methods ranged from full destruction of any instance of her name or image to replacement, inserting Thutmose I or II where Hatshepsut once stood. There were also instances of smoothing, patchwork jobs that covered Hatshepsut's cartouche; examples of this can be seen on

4212-470: The throne between the heirs of Merneptah increased. Amenmesse apparently usurped the throne from Merneptah's son and successor, Seti II , but he ruled Egypt for only four years. After his death, Seti regained power and destroyed most of Amenmesse's monuments. Seti was served at court by Chancellor Bay , who was originally just a 'royal scribe' but quickly became one of the most powerful men in Egypt, gaining

4290-427: The throne next. Horemheb also died without surviving children, having appointed his vizier, Pa-ra-mes-su, as his heir. This vizier ascended the throne in 1292 BC as Ramesses I , and was the first pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty . This example to the right depicts a man named Ay who achieved the exalted religious positions of Second Prophet of Amun and High Priest of Mut at Thebes . His career flourished during

4368-508: The tomb by Dr. Zahi Hawass and taken to Cairo's Egyptian Museum for testing. This mummy was missing a tooth, and the space in the jaw perfectly matched Hatshepsut's existing molar, found in the DB320 "canopic box". Based on this, Hawass concluded that the KV60A mummy is very likely Hatshepsut. While the mummy and the tooth could be DNA tested to see if it belonged to the same person and confirm

4446-473: The unprecedented privilege of constructing his own tomb in the Valley of the Kings ( KV13 ). Both Bay and Seti's chief wife, Twosret , had a sinister reputation in Ancient Egyptian folklore. After Siptah 's death, Twosret ruled Egypt for two more years, but she proved unable to maintain her hold on power amid the conspiracies and powerplays being hatched at the royal court. She was likely ousted in

4524-443: The walls of the Deir el-Bahari temple. Simpler methods also included covering, where new stone was added to fully cover reliefs or sacred stone work. At the Deir el-Bahari temple, Hatshepsut's many statues were torn down and in many cases, smashed or disfigured before being buried in a pit. At Karnak, an attempt was made to wall up her monuments. While it is clear that much of this rewriting of Hatshepsut's history occurred only during

4602-426: Was Horemheb, a general during Tutankhamun's reign whom the pharaoh may have intended as his successor in case he had no surviving children, which is what came to pass. Horemheb may have taken the throne away from Ay in a coup d'état . Although Ay's son or stepson Nakhtmin was named as his father/stepfather's Crown Prince, Nakhtmin seems to have died during the reign of Ay, leaving the opportunity for Horemheb to claim

4680-504: Was a lengthy co-regency, a short one, or none at all. In the fifth year of his reign, Amenhotep IV changed his name to Akhenaten ( ꜣḫ-n-jtn , "Effective for the Aten ") and moved his capital to Amarna , which he named Akhetaten. During the reign of Akhenaten, the Aten ( jtn , the sun disk) became, first, the most prominent deity, and eventually came to be considered the only god. Whether this amounted to true monotheism continues to be

4758-421: Was ambiguous and androgynous in many of her statues and monuments. She would create a masculine version of herself to establish herself in the Egyptian patriarchy. Osirian statues of Hatshepsut—as with other pharaohs—depict the dead pharaoh as Osiris, with the body and regalia of that deity. To further lay her claim to the throne, priests told a story of divine birth. In this myth, Amun goes to Ahmose in

SECTION 60

#1732765886836

4836-409: Was born in 1507 BC, and is believed to have been the daughter of Thutmose I and his great royal wife , Ahmose . After her father's death, Hatshepsut was then married to Thutmose II , her half-brother and father's heir , when she was fourteen or fifteen years old. The couple were around the same age. Upon the death of Thutmose II, the underage Thutmose III became the pharaoh of Egypt. Hatshepsut

4914-596: Was caught in history's first recorded military ambush, but thanks to the arrival of the Ne'arin (a force allied with Egypt), Ramesses was able to rally his troops and turn the tide of battle against the Hittites. Ramesses II later profited from the Hittites' internal difficulties, during his eighth and ninth regnal years, when he campaigned against their Syrian possessions, capturing Kadesh and portions of Southern Syria, and advancing as far north as Tunip , where no Egyptian soldier had been seen for 120 years. He ultimately accepted that

4992-458: Was deified after she died. Ahmose was succeeded by his son, Amenhotep I , whose reign was relatively uneventful. Amenhotep I probably left no male heir and the next pharaoh, Thutmose I , seems to have been related to the royal family through marriage. During his reign, the borders of Egypt's empire reached their greatest expanse, extending in the north to Carchemish on the Euphrates and in

5070-737: Was depicted as a male pharaoh, with physically masculine traits and traditionally male garb. Hatshepsut's reign was a period of great prosperity and general peace. One of the most prolific builders in Ancient Egypt, she oversaw large-scale construction projects such as the Karnak Temple Complex , the Red Chapel , the Speos Artemidos and most famously, the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari . Hatshepsut died probably in Year 22 of Thutmose III. Towards

5148-496: Was discovered by Howard Carter in 1922. Other famous pharaohs of the dynasty include Hatshepsut (c. 1479 BC–1458 BC), the longest-reigning woman pharaoh of an indigenous dynasty, and Akhenaten (c. 1353–1336 BC), the "heretic pharaoh", with his Great Royal Wife , Nefertiti . The Eighteenth Dynasty is unique among Egyptian dynasties in that it had two queens regnant , women who ruled as sole pharaoh: Hatshepsut and Neferneferuaten , usually identified as Nefertiti. Dynasty XVIII

5226-464: Was founded by Ahmose I , the brother or son of Kamose , the last ruler of the 17th Dynasty . Ahmose finished the campaign to expel the Hyksos rulers. His reign is seen as the end of the Second Intermediate Period and the start of the New Kingdom. Ahmose's consort, Queen Ahmose-Nefertari was "arguably the most venerated woman in Egyptian history, and the grandmother of the 18th Dynasty." She

5304-401: Was her father's designated successor with inscriptions on the walls of her mortuary temple: Then his majesty said to them: "This daughter of mine, Khnumetamun Hatshepsut—may she live!—I have appointed as my successor upon my throne... she shall direct the people in every sphere of the palace; it is she indeed who shall lead you. Obey her words, unite yourselves at her command." The royal nobles,

5382-503: Was mainly peaceful, it is possible that she led military campaigns against Nubia and Canaan . Hatshepsut was one of the most prolific builders in Ancient Egypt, commissioning hundreds of construction projects throughout both Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt . Many of these building projects were temples to build her religious base and legitimacy beyond her position as God's Wife of Amun. At these temples, she performed religious rituals that had hitherto been reserved for kings, corroborating

5460-550: Was not borne out of hatred but was a political necessity to assert his own beliefs. Redford added: But did Thutmose remember her? Here and there, in the dark recesses of a shrine or tomb where no plebeian eye could see, the queen's cartouche and figure were left intact ... which never vulgar eye would again behold, still conveyed for the king the warmth and awe of a divine presence. Hatshepsut is, according to Egyptologist James Henry Breasted , "the first great woman in history of whom we are informed." In some ways, Hatshepsut's reign

5538-424: Was placed in power by Egyptian elites due to her record as successful in various domains—as High Priestess or as a placeholder serving for her father Thutmose I in Thebes while he was away on military campaigns. This record of success made such elites confident that she could handle Egyptian wealth and trade, capitalizing on Egypt's moment of prosperity. Indeed, historian Kara Cooney describes Hatshepsut as "arguably,

5616-421: Was ravaged by other pharaohs, who took one part after another to use in their own projects. The precinct awaits restoration. She had twin obelisks erected at the entrance to the temple which at the time of building were the tallest in the world. Only one remains upright, which is the second-tallest ancient obelisk still standing , the other having toppled and broken in two. The official in charge of those obelisks

5694-409: Was seen as going against the patriarchal system of her time. She managed to rule as regent for a son who was not her own, going against the system which had previously only allowed mothers to rule on behalf of their biological sons. She used this regency to create her female kingship, constructing extensive temples to celebrate her reign, which meant that the public became used to seeing a woman in such

5772-399: Was supported by Thutmose III's officials, and as Hatshepsut's officials either died or were no longer in the public eye, there was little opposition to this. Tyldesley, along with historians Peter Dorman and Gay Robins , say that the erasure and defacement of Hatshepsut's monuments may have been an attempt to extinguish the memory of female kingship (including its successes, as opposed to

5850-584: Was the Great Royal Wife of Pharaoh Thutmose II and the fifth Pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt , ruling first as regent , then as queen regnant from c.  1479 BC until c.  1458 BC (Low Chronology). She was Egypt's second confirmed queen regnant, the first being Sobekneferu/Nefrusobek in the Twelfth Dynasty . Hatshepsut was the daughter of Thutmose I and Great Royal Wife , Ahmose . Upon

5928-462: Was the high steward Amenhotep . Another project, Karnak's Red Chapel, or Chapelle Rouge , was built as a barque shrine. Later, she ordered the construction of two more obelisks to celebrate her 16th year as pharaoh; one of the obelisks broke during construction, and a third was therefore constructed to replace it. The broken obelisk was left at its quarrying site in Aswan , where it remains. Known as

6006-478: Was the will of Amun that Hatshepsut be pharaoh, further strengthening her position. She reiterated Amun's support by having these proclamations by the god Amun carved on her monuments: Welcome my sweet daughter, my favorite, the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Maatkare, Hatshepsut. Thou art the Pharaoh, taking possession of the Two Lands. Once she became pharaoh herself, Hatshepsut supported her assertion that she

6084-630: Was thought of by early modern scholars to have only served as regent alongside him. However, modern scholars agree that, while she initially served as regent for young Thutmose III from his accession in c.  1479 BC , Hatshepsut eventually assumed the position of pharaoh alongside him by Year 7 of his reign, c.  1472 BC ; becoming queen regnant , Hatshepsut shared Thutmose III's existing regnal count, effectively back-dating her accession as pharaoh to Year 1, when she had been merely regent. Although queens Sobekneferu and possibly Nitocris may have previously assumed

#835164