Hatshepsut

Hatshepsut

Family background and claim to throne

• What were Hatshepsut’s titles during her role as queen?

  • King’s sister, King’s wife, and God's wife of Amun

• Why do you think pharaohs had ‘lesser’ wives?

  • To make political connections, either foreign or local, and to ensure a line of succession

• What was the order of Hatshepsut’s three major phases of leadership?

  • Regent, coregent, King

• Which two aspects of Hatshepsut’s origin were emphasized to help her justify becoming king?

• Her relationship with Amun Re, and her relationship with Thutmose I.

• Who is Ineni? Explain what Ineni means when he describes Hatshepsut as an “excellent seed of the god”.

• He was an Egyptian nobleman. This quote from his tomb is meant to solidify support for Hatshepsut and prove that he approved of her and believed her to be a good leader.

• What inferences can you make regarding the opinion of Ineni relating to the conditions in Egypt under Hatshepsut’s regency? (Use the information gathered from his tomb inscription).

• He uses the metaphor of a boat being securely fastened to the bank, meaning her reign was well maintained and solid, and that Egypt was stable and safe.

• What are the strengths and limitations of Ineni’s account? Consider the author, nature, origin and purpose of the source.

• As a nobleman, his opinion would have been skewed by his own political beliefs and alliances, additionally as it was inscribed on his tomb it may not have been written by him, but may have been inscribed by the order of Hatshepsut to solidify the guise of support in her. It also may have been written solely to make it seem as if he was a loyal supporter, to gain her favour.

• What is the significance of Hatshepsut’s claim to be the daughter of the god Amun?

• It puts her on par with the male Pharaohs who claimed to be sons of Amun and solidified her right to rule.

• What major sites did Hatshepsut use to protect her right to reign:

  • What evidence did she provide to prove she was the successor of Thutmose I?

• Inscriptions at Hatshepsut’s temple of Deir el-Bahri

• What evidence did she provide to prove she was the daughter/ son of Amun?

• The Divine Birth Relief of Deir el-Bahri.

• What are the two major schools of thought regarding the reality of Thutmose I declaring Hatshepsut as his successor?

• That either, because Thutmose II was young, Hatshepsut was able to scheme and take control, or because Thutmose II was young, Thutmose I named Hatshepsut his successor to ensure a strong queen and one who was more likely to provide a successor.

Role of Queens and Marriage with Thut II

• Why were queens so important in the seventeenth and eighteenth dynasties?

• They had power in the Cult of Amun and could serve as regent when the Pharaoh was away or when the Pharaoh was too old.

• Explain at least three roles that queens assumed in the seventeenth and eighteenth dynasties.

• King’s Wife of Amun, basically the head priestess of the Cult of Amun. Regent when the king was away at war/too young to rule. Queen, power second to the king, could have had control over a minor court that dealt with local regional matters.

• Identify two reasons why evidence for the reign of Thutmose II is limited.

• He was a sick ruler with a short reign and had minimal building programs and minor conflicts.

• In the early days as Thutmose II’s queen, what roles did Hatshepsut assume?

•  King's Daughter, King's Sister, God's Wife and King's Great Wife - essentially the titles given to the principal wife of the Pharaoh.

• Examine Hatshepsut’s portrayal in the Dual Stele. How can historians deduce that Hatshepsut was only working as queen at the time of its production?

• Her positioning behind Thutmose, and facing away from the main scene are common motifs for an Egyptian Queen.

• Why did the Nubians feel they could launch a rebellion against Egypt in the early New Kingdom Period?

• The dynasty was new and unproven, and many of the Pharaohs took power quite young or were helped by a regent.

• Find a family tree of the early 18th Dynasty to explain and justify the statement in reference to Hatshepsut “She could obviously argue that she bore more royal blood in her veins than Thutmose III…”

• Hatshepsut was the product of two royals, while Thutmose III was the product of Thutmose II and a non-royal concubine.

• Why was Thutmose II’s burial and funeral preparation basic and seemingly rushed?

• His death seems to have been unexpected, meaning that preparations were not already in progress.

• Judging by the state in which his body was recovered by archaeologists in 1881, suggest reasons for his cause of death.

• Possibly he was attacked or killed in battle as his corpse was in poor condition, with axe wounds in the chest, his right arm below the elbow having been cut off, as well as his left leg.

• Research to establish proposed reasons for Thutmose II’s cause of death and reasons for his body being severely damaged after his death. Provide evidence for the reasons.

• His body was covered in scabs and lesions, indicating some kind of disease that acted quickly, ravaging his body and killing him in a short period of time. Tomb robbers likely damaged his body after he died, but not all of the injuries can be confirmed as happening post-mortem.

• Describe what available evidence reveals about Thutmose II’s health before he died.

• It was poor, he was weak and had a very short reign, and his body has evidence of a disease that likely ultimately caused his death.

• Research the 2007 discovery of Hatshepsut’s mummy and her missing tooth.

  • Describe the findings

• Two female mummies were found in a non-royal tomb, one being Hatshepsut’s wet nurse, and the other being unnamed. A box from Hatshepsut's original empty tomb contained her liver and a tooth, and using dental scans they were able to identify that the unnamed mummy was Hatshepsut.

• Explain what tests on her Mummy have revealed about her health and life.

• She was obese, with bad teeth, and her death was likely caused by a skin lotion found in her tomb that was carcinogenic, and scans of her bones show traces of bone cancer.

Hatshepsut's titles and changes to royal image over time

• Hatshepsut’s personal or birth name was Khnum-Amun Hatshepsut, ‘one who was united with Amun’.

• There was also her ‘throne name’. Hatshepsut’s was Maat-ka-re, meaning, ‘truth in the spirit of Re’.

• Hatshepsut had her ‘Horus name’ (Horus was the god of the sky). Her Horus name was Wereret-Kau, meaning ‘mighty of Kas’.

• She also had the name, Nebty Wadjet-renput, ‘beloved of the two ladies’.

• Hatshepsut was called Netjeret-khau, meaning ‘divine of diadems’. A diadem was a royal crown.

• Identify the three major stages of Hatshepsut’s leadership.

• King's wife (queen), regent, coregent/Pharaoh

• Identify the number and royal names of Hatshepsut.

• 5 names, Khnum-Amun Hatshepsut, Maat-ka-re, Wereret-Kau, Nebty Wadjet-renput, Netjeret-Kau.

• Referring to the excerpt by Sir Allan Gardiner in 1961, what was he implying?

• That her assumption of the role of Pharaoh was slow, with depictions of her changing from female to female king, to the king.

• Describe the major differences between the early years of her regency, versus two to seven years into her regency and then the later years of her reign.

• Early on, she performed her role as regent as would have been expected, maintaining her titles from when Thutmose II was alive and when appearing in public monuments she was seen as subordinate to Thutmose III. By years two and seven, her titles and image had shifted to appear as a male ruler, and depictions of her royal birth as masculine were spread through Egypt, making her seen and written about as both masculine and feminine. By the last years of her reign, she wore male regalia, a false beard, the double crown, and assumed royal titles.

• Outline the major differences between male and female statutory depictions.

• Female depictions were facing away from the Pharaoh and were depicted as subordinate. Males were positioned facing towards the main scene of the description and were larger than life, and superior to other figures.

• Explain the evolution of Hatshepsut’s royal image as outlined by historian Roland Tefnin.

• There were three main phases; a feminine phase, while she was still married and in the early years of her coregency with Thutmose III, an androgynous phase in which she was depicted as feminine with masculine regalia, and the masculine phase, where her image was fully masculinized until the end of her reign.

• Analyse sources 29 and 30 above, and compare them. Using the information provided in source A, explain the differences between the two statues and suggest what Hatsepsut was trying to portray in each.

• Source 29 has Hatshepsut sitting down, she is depicted as feminine with narrow shoulders, breasts, and feet planted together. Source 30 has Hatshepsut with one foot in front of the other, a common pharaonic stance, she has broad shoulders, no breasts, a false beard, and other masculine regalia, depicting her as a masculine Pharaoh.

• Suggest possible reasons for the gradual changes to Hatshepsut’s image.

• As she came into her power as Pharaoh with little influence from Thutmose III, she slowly assumed power so as to avoid an uproar with an immediate shift.

Foreign policy and building programs

• What did historians Alan Gardiner and J.A. Wilson claim regarding the military career of Hatshepsut? What may explain their views?

• They claim, in conjuncture with the evidence available to them at the time and influenced by their own context, that Hatshepsut led no military exploits.

• What do more modern historical interpretations claim regarding the nature of Hatshepsut’s military career?

• That she had active military in Nubia, and Syria-Palestine, likely as an active defence rather than a reactive offence.

• What types of evidence do we have for Hatshepsut’s military campaigns?

• Colonnade inscription at Deir el-Bahri, Graffito of Ty, rock inscription at Tangur West, Stela of Djehuty, Deir el-Bahri inscriptions.

• What conclusions can you draw about Hatshepsut’s military activities from the available evidence?

• That her military actions were more focused on active defence, as opposed to reactive offence.

• Explain the nature and purposes of Hatshepsut’s foreign policy. (Remember, military campaigns are just one part of overall foreign policy).

• Her foreign policy was mainly focused on diplomatic ties and avoiding conflict, through defence rather than offence, and trading.

• Why did Hatshepsut go to Punt and why was the expedition so significant?

• It was the most significant trading expedition, focusing on creating ties between Egypt and Punt.

• Using the flowchart from the temple inscription, describe the expedition to Punt.

• Ships set sail from Egypt, laden with many goods, arrived in Punt and were greeted by a royal procession. Trades were highly successful and the ships returned to Egypt with many foreign goods that were in high demand in Egypt.

• Study the scenes in source A and explain what you believe to be the most important event within the expedition. Justify your answer.

• The successful arrival and greeting of the ships in Punt, as a warm welcome signifies building ties, a royal connection between Egypt and Punt, and successful trading.

• What were the reasons Hatshepsut worked to establish a strong building program?

• Proved that Egypt was stable and prosperous, it was a way of honouring the gods and proving she was a good religious leader, and it was necessary for her to build to highlight her achievements and affirm her right to rule.

• What were the most important building efforts during Hatshepsut’s reign?

• Deir el-Bari, the Temple at Karnak, Beni Hasan, and her tombs,

• Identify the architectural innovations used by Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahri.

• Ramps to draw the eye to the most significant parts of the complex, a new hall to allow light to enter, a rock platform over the temple to minimize damage from falling rocks, and new unique religious decorations.

• How does Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple reveal a connection between building programs and religion?

• Her connection to Amun and religion is evident through the purposes of her building programs, all of her building programs have religious symbols and decorations.

• Using source C, what aspects of Hatshepsut’s innovation does Szafranski highlight? On what authority does he base his opinion?

• Her design and aesthetic choices. He was the Director of the Excavation program at Deir el-Bahri for several decades in the 20th century.

• Explain the significance of the temple of Deir el-Bahri to Hatshepsut’s reign.

• Deir el-Bahri was the site of the mortuary temples of the Pharaohs, where they would be worshipped after their death. Having a significant temple at Deir el-Bahri was a sign of a Pharaoh's connection with the gods, and with the afterlife, as well as solidifying them as Pharaohs beyond their death.

• Why was the Red Chapel built by Hatshepsut so significant?

• It depicted her coronation and several significant festivals that she hosted.

• Why was the Speos Artemidos temple built at Beni Hasan a ‘good political move’ by Hatshepsut?

• It had depictions of other gods than Amun, which appealed to people across Egypt who may not have been as familiar with Amun.

• Describe the tombs of Hatshepsut.

• Her tomb that was constructed for the wife of Thutmose II consisted of 17-metre corridor, several chambers, a hall and a burial chamber, and the tomb she constructed for herself as Pharaoh had four connecting passages that led to a burial chamber which at 97 metres is one of the longest and deepest of the royal tombs.

Religious Policy

• why was Hatshepsut interested in developing new religious ideas about Amun’s role?

• Because manipulation of the ideas surrounding Amun could be used to solidify her position and right to be in power.

• What new religious concepts of Amun-Re were developed during Hatshepsut’s reign?

• Extra importance was placed on divine oracles, which developed the concept of personal piety. She also standardized the Book of the Dead for funerary practices across Egypt.

• What were the political and religious implications of oracles in Hatshepsut’s reign?

• Personal piety and gods blessing became more common across Egypt, especially in things relating to death and funerary customs.

• How do the following contribute to the development of the ideology of Egyptian kingship?

  • Hatshepsut’s divine birth and coronation inscriptions.

• Links to previous pharaohs, links to gods, solidification of the concept of divine birth.

• Reliefs and inscriptions of the Hathor chapel from Deir el-Bahri.

• Links to previous pharaohs and divine birth.

• What was the purpose of Egyptian religious festivals?

• To honour the gods and nature, and participate in rituals.

• According to source 34 (historian Gae Callendar), why was the fact Hatshepsut established two new festivals so significant?

• It created a legacy and the festivals were celebrated for centuries, even after her death, it allowed the Gods to visit all people in Egypt, and specifically to visit Hatshepsut's new building programs

• What contribution did Hatshepsut make to the development of funerary customs?

• She standardized the Book of the Dead across Egypt and introduced new festivals in which idols of the Gods would visit the grave sites of kings and significant Egyptians.

Relationship with Thutmose III; Co-regency and Later Defacement of her Monuments

• Thutmose III appears with Hatshepsut on many of the monuments for the co-regency

• period, although Hatshepsut takes precedence of position. 

• Both Thutmose III and Hatshepsut are mentioned in inscriptions on private monuments and

• tombs.

• Thutmose III was given command of the military, even leading a campaign in Nubia. 

• Archaeological evidence suggests that Hatshepsut’s monuments were damaged at least 20

• years after her death. 

• There is no documented evidence of an uprising or hatred towards Hatshepsut from

• Thutmose III.

• There is no evidence to suggest the cause of Hatshepsut’s death in year 22 of her reign.

• Define demnatio memoriae.

• Condemnation of memory: the exclusion of a person from the official record.

• When does scholar Charles Nims (p322-332) claim Thutmose III destroyed Hatshepsut’s monuments?

• He says that the destruction of Hatshepsut's monuments happened after 20-40 years, as an act of vengeance.

• List specific examples of the destruction of Hatshepsut’s monuments by Thutmose III.

• Most masculine depictions of her.

• What possible motivations exist for this?

• To avoid being emasculated by history, out of anger or vengeance.

Ancient and modern images, and interpretations of Hatshepsut

Impact & Influence on Her Time

Hatshepsut: Assessment & Legacy

How to determine success:

• Success in their own context 

• Suppressed rebellions - maintained the empire

• Building programs

• Religious - relationship with Amun, funerary development 

• Innovation - what she changed 

• Ideology of kingship 

• Expedition to Punt 

• To what extent was she a traditionalist (continuity) 

• To consolidate reign

• Upheld Amun-Re

• Built up old Egyptian buildings 

• Regalia of Kingship: male statues and emphasised ka 

• Legacy - influence 

• Ideology of kingship 

• New connection to Amun-Re

• Built up the economy 

• Building programs 

• Religious influence 

The Speos Artemidos Inscription of Hatshepsut