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Hatshepsut
Accession to the Throne
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Daughter of Thutmose I
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Married half brother T II, “Great Royal Wife”
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Became Queen Regent for T III (shown standing behind T III)
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Co-Regency (shown standing beside T III)
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SOLE RULER – year 7 of T III’s reign
Evidence:
Deir el-Bahri
 ‘Divine Birth’, Coronation and Court Presentation scenes
People associated with Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut needed the support of male officials to legitimise her reign
She built up a support system of loyal followers who owed their careers to her
Senemut
 92 titles
 Chief Steward of Amen, Royal Tutor to Neferure
 From humble background
 Administered the estates of the royal family and Amen priesthood
Hapuseneb
 High Priest and Vizier
 Controlled wealth and supervised all provinces
 Grandfather had been vizier to T I
 Daughter Senseneb was 2nd highest female priestess
 Son-in-law was 2nd Prophet of Amen, architect and o’seer of works
 Father was 3rd Prophet of Amen
Hatshepsut’s relationship with T III
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No evidence that T III felt subordinated to Hatshepsut
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Did not display jealousy, hatred or animosity
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Hatshepsut never stripped T III of his titles
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T III was allowed to continue military training and even lead the army
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20 years after Hatshepsut’s death, T III destroyed and damaged monuments:
-Red Chapel pulled down and relief’s destroyed
-In DD, statues, cartouches and relief’s destroyed
-T III etched out Hatshepsut’s name and replaced it with T III (inside temple)
-Obelisk encased by T III (but preserved)
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Many pharaohs used previous king’s monuments – nothing new, even Hatshepsut
did it
Warrior Pharaoh
At least 4 and possibly 6 military campaigns during her reign
Campaigns is Nubia, Palestine and Syria, Gaza, another to Nubia led by T III
Evidence:
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30 statues wearing Warrior Crown
Image of her harpooning Hippo
Depictions of her as sphinx, trampling on Egypt’s enemies
Graffito written by Tiy on the island of Sehel – suggests she led campaign
Damaged text written by the scribe Djehuty
Speos Artemidos text suggest she kept her army in a state of readiness
‘Booties’ from campaigns given to temples
Building Program
Repairing temples, chapels and sanctuaries
Completing buildings of T II, and laying foundations
New monuments: Mortuary Temple at Deir el-Bahri; the Red Chapel obelisks and 8th
Pylon at Karnak; cliff temple at Speos Artemidos
Deir el-Bahri
Built for daily offerings to Hatshepsut after death
Dedicated to Amen
Shrines to other deities eg. Hathor, Annubis, Osiris
Mortuary Chapel to T I
Its walls also provided opportunity to justify her reign and major achievements
Architect was Senemut
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1st colonnade:
-2 obelisks brought from Aswan to Thebes
-Depicts Hatshepsut killing Hippo
2nd colonnade:
-Divine Birth
-Divine Coronation and Presentation to court from T I
-Punt expedition
3rd colonnade:
-Shrines dedicated to other deities (see above) as well as to herself and T I
Buildings at Karnak
Added monumental gate called the Eight Pylon
Red granite sanctuary for Amen’s barque
Erected 4 obelisks dedicated to Amen
Religion
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Hatshepsut did more for Amen than any other New Kingdom pharaoh
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She made the High Priest, the Vizier as well
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Monuments built and expeditions and war campaigns carried out for Amen
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Oracle from Amen dictated her actions
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Only the most important members of the priesthood could enter the inner
sanctuary – to change Amen’s clothes
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Priests had to:
-Cleanse in sacred lake
-Light fire and burn incense
-Greet statue of Amen by singing hymns
-Anoint the statue with oil and holy water
-Make offers of food and drink
-They backed out, sweeping away footprints
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Legacy
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Egypt was left with a prosperous, vibrant culture and economy
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Trade routes opened and new roads built, especially with countries in the Near
East and Aegean
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Strengthened Amen religion and priesthood
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Revival of religious festivals eg. Valley Festival, Festival of Opet
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War campaigns had increased Egypt’s influence – garrisons built in other
countries
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Monuments she left – temples were erected in every major centre in Egypt
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Overcame gender problems as ruler
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Egyptilisation – brought children of chieftains and educated them
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Ruled country after disruption and chaos of Hyskos – she brought stability
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Punt – wealth, ideas, luxury items
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BAD – gave Amen priesthood too much power
Evidence:
Speos Artemidos
 Describes how after the rubble of Hyskos, Hatshepsut restored Egypt
 She restored religious festivals, temples, roads and trade routes
 She restored buildings and monuments
 Restored Egypt’s economy