Question 1

Who was Hatshepsut and why is she unique in Egyptian history?

Accepted Answer

Hatshepsut is one of the few women to have reigned as a full pharaoh, not merely as a regent or royal wife. What makes her so singular is that she governed during the Eighteenth Dynasty (around 1479-1457 BC), an era when power was strictly male. To secure her legitimacy, she had herself depicted with the masculine attributes of power – kilt, nemes headcloth and false beard – while sometimes still using feminine grammatical forms in texts. The key thing to remember is that her reign was prosperous, marked by great architectural works and trading expeditions, despite later attempts to erase her memory.

Question 2

What is Hatshepsut's major architectural achievement?

Accepted Answer

Her masterpiece is the mortuary temple of Deir el-Bahari, on the west bank of Thebes. What you should picture is a temple of three stacked terraces, built into the cliff, which stands as a peak of Egyptian architecture. Unlike the pyramids of the Old Kingdom, this temple is both a place of worship and a commemorative monument. The reliefs on its walls recount the famous expedition to the Land of Punt and the divine birth of Hatshepsut, proclaimed daughter of the god Amun-Ra. What is striking is that it remained a model for later buildings, notably the Ramesseum of Ramesses II.

Question 3

What impact did Hatshepsut's reign have on Egypt?

Accepted Answer

Her reign consolidated Egyptian power after the troubled period of the Hyksos. What sets Hatshepsut apart from other pharaohs is that she favoured trade and diplomacy over military conquest. The great expedition to Punt brought back incense, myrrh, gold and living myrrh trees, reviving long-distance trade. At home, she launched a vast programme of temple construction and restoration, notably at Karnak and throughout the country. What is often forgotten is that her nephew and successor Thutmose III later led great military campaigns, but it was Hatshepsut who prepared the necessary prosperity.

Question 4

What was Hatshepsut's daily life as pharaoh like?

Accepted Answer

The pharaoh's life was shaped by rituals and obligations. In the morning, Hatshepsut performed a ritual washing followed by the dressing ceremony, in which she put on the royal insignia – kilt, nemes headcloth and false beard – along with rich jewellery. She devoted the morning to rites in honour of Amun and to reviewing the affairs of the kingdom with her senior officials. In the afternoon, she received her vizier and her scribes to manage the administration: taxes, temple works, expeditions. In the evening, she withdrew to her palace in Thebes, where she ate a refined meal of bread, beer, meat, fish and fruit, while guards stood watch.

Question 5

What objects symbolised Hatshepsut's power?

Accepted Answer

Several objects characteristic of pharaonic power are associated with Hatshepsut. The false ceremonial beard and the nemes (the striped royal headcloth) allowed her to appear as a male pharaoh. The heka sceptre (the crook) and the nekhakha flail (the whip) symbolised her role as shepherd of the people and guarantor of order. The granite obelisks she had raised at Karnak – one of them, nearly 29 metres tall, still stands – were monuments dedicated to the sun god Amun-Ra. Finally, her royal cartouche, bearing the coronation name Maatkare, was carved on every monument to assert her eternal protection.

Question 6

What does the term “pharaoh” mean and what was his role?

Accepted Answer

The word pharaoh comes from the Egyptian per-aa, meaning “great house.” It referred to the king of Egypt, who was at once political, military and religious leader. The key thing to remember is that the pharaoh was seen as an intermediary between humans and the gods, responsible for upholding Maat, the universal order and justice. He commanded the armies, oversaw the construction of temples and tombs, and presided over religious ceremonies. Hatshepsut, although a woman, took on all these roles, which was exceptional. She notably presented herself as the daughter of Amun-Ra in order to legitimise her power.

Question 7

Why was there an attempt to erase Hatshepsut's memory?

Accepted Answer

After her death, around 1457 BC, her statues were smashed, and her name was chiselled out and replaced on certain monuments. What was long believed is that Thutmose III acted out of revenge for having been pushed aside from power. But the key to this episode is that the destruction took place several decades later, under the reign of Thutmose III or his successor. It seems the goal was less a personal vendetta than a desire to keep the official king list exclusively male, and to reaffirm tradition. This explains why Hatshepsut was only rediscovered in the 19th century by archaeologists.

Question 8

What were the main places associated with Hatshepsut?

Accepted Answer

The key places of her reign are concentrated around Thebes (modern-day Luxor). She was born there and lived in a palace on the east bank of the Nile. Her mortuary temple of Deir el-Bahari, on the west bank, is her most famous monument. At Karnak, she had two pink granite obelisks erected, cut from the quarries of Aswan. Her tomb (KV20) lies in the Valley of the Kings. Finally, the expedition to the Land of Punt – probably the Red Sea coast or the Horn of Africa – is a symbolic place of her far-reaching trade.

Question 9

What primary source tells us about the expedition to Punt?

Accepted Answer

The most famous source is the reliefs of the temple of Deir el-Bahari, which show the loading of the ships with “all the marvels of the Land of Punt: the fragrant woods, heaps of myrrh resin, fresh myrrh trees, ebony and pure ivory.” The key thing to remember is that these reliefs are both a historical document and a tool of propaganda: they glorify Hatshepsut's reign by showing her ability to organise great expeditions. Another important source is the dedicatory inscription of the obelisks at Karnak, where she declares that she acts “with a loving heart for my father Amun,” underlining her piety.

Question 10

What was the wider world like in Hatshepsut's time?

Accepted Answer

Under the Eighteenth Dynasty, Egypt was at the height of its power after driving out the Hyksos around 1539 BC. The New Kingdom was a period of expansion and prosperity. During Hatshepsut's reign (around 1479-1457 BC), the Minoan civilisation was flourishing in Crete, and the Kingdom of Kerma in Nubia was a rival. What sets her era apart is that Egypt maintained trading relations with distant regions such as Punt and the Near East. After her death, Thutmose III won the Battle of Megiddo in 1457 BC, extending the empire as far as Syria.

Hatshepsut(1506 av. J.-C. — 1457 av. J.-C.)

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