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Hatshepsut

© Copyright 2001, Jim Loy

Hatshepsut (also known as Maatkara) was the wife of Thutmosis II, who died in his thirties, in about 1504 BCE. She then ruled as coregent with the child Thutmosis III (son of Thutmosis II by another wife). She slowly gained more power, until she named herself king (her names are shown above left). There are a few pictures and statues of her as a man, sometimes with a beard. She ruled from about 1498-1483 BCE, as the 6th king of the 18th Dynasty. Her mortuary temple, across the river from Thebes, is one of the great buildings of Egypt. She had two tombs, one west of the Valley of Kings was never used, the other is called KV20 in the Valley of Kings. Her mummy has never been identified.

Thutmosis III (also called Menkhepperra) had been named king when Thutmosis II died. Now, when Hatshepsut died about 21 years later, he became king in actual fact. He had many of her statues destroyed, and her name chiseled out of her monuments. Her name does not appear on later king lists. Thutmosis III ruled until about 1450 BCE, and became the greatest military leader in Egyptian history, winning many victories. He is sometimes called the Napoleon of Egypt, partly because his mummy was erroneously thought to be short of height. By the way, Napoleon was not particularly short for his times. Thutmosis III's tomb is KV34. His mummy was found in 1881, in the royal cache at Deir el-Bahari.

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