Kingship is one of the important subjects of study about ancient
Egypt. In a patriarchal society like ancient Egypt, were women able to
“play” in the royal
realm? If so, how would they be represented? In this post, continued
from the
Women and Girls in the Ancient World Series, Megaera
Lorenz, a PhD
candidate in Egyptology at the University of Chicago, shares with us
the story of Hatshepsut – one of the few female pharaohs known to the
history of Egypt
– and the brief history of how she rose to power. We will also
explore the visual iconography that was used for legitimizing her
kingship and divinity.
Cartouche of Hatshepsut
The Joseph and Mary Grimshaw Egyptian Gallery, the Oriental Institute Museum
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Quartzite Cartouche of Hatshepsut (Ma’atkare)
New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, reign of Hatshepsut, ca. 1503-1483 BCE
Luxor, Medinet Habu, Excavated by the Oriental Institute, 1927
OIM 14384A
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