Hatnub A quarry for travertine, called “Egyptian ala-
baster,” near ’AMARNAin Upper Egypt. The name meant
“House of Gold.” The quality of the stone and the yield of
the site made Hatnub popular in all dynasties. An inscrip-
tion dates quarrying activities at Hatnub to the reign of
SNEFRU(2575–2551 B.C.E.), and it was active throughout
the centuries and in the Roman Period. There were three
main quarries at Hatnub. Also on the site are remains of
enclosure walls, stoneware, and a worker’s necropolis.
The alabaster mined here was used for royal monuments
and temples.
Hatshepsut (Ma’atkaré)(d. 1458 B.C.E.) Most suc-
cessful queen-pharaoh in Egypt’s history, the fifth ruler of the
Eighteenth Dynasty
She reigned as pharaoh from 1473 B.C.E. until retiring or
dying. Her name meant “Foremost of the Noble Ones,”
and she was the surviving daughter of TUTHMOSIS Iand
Queen ’AHMOSE. She married her half brother, TUTHMOSIS
II, and gave birth to a daughter, NEFERU-RÉ. Tuthmosis II’s
heir, TUTHMOSIS III, was the child of a lesser harem lady,
ISET(1).
When Tuthmosis II died in 1479 B.C.E. from a severe
systemic illness, Hatshepsut stood as regent for the heir,
who was very young. Contemporary records state that
she “managed affairs of the land.” Six years later, how-
ever, she put aside Tuthmosis III (r. 1479–1425 B.C.E.)
and declared herself PHARAOH, adopting masculine attire
on occasions and assuming the traditional titles. It is pos-
sible that she assumed pharaonic titles as early as Tuth-
mosis III’s second regnal year. A tablet in the Red Chapel
dates it to “Year Two, 2 Perit 29, Third Day of the Festival
of AMUN.” She had the full support of the Amunite priests
and the court officials and was accepted by the people as
a ruler called “Beautiful to Behold.”
Hatshepsut was well educated and skilled in imperial
administration. It is possible that she led military cam-
paigns in NUBIAand Palestine, and she sent a famous
expedition to PUNT (probably modern Ethiopia). In
Egypt, Hatshepsut renovated large sections of KARNAK
and maintained an apartment there. She also erected the
Red Chapel, a pair of granite OBELISKS, a formal route for
religious processions, and the eighth PYLONin the south-
ern axis of the complex. Near BENI HASAN, Hatshepsut
and Tuthmosis III erected the SPEOS ARTEMIDOS, later
called “the Stable of Antar” (after a warrior poet of mod-
ern Islam). This was a rock-cut temple of the goddess
PAKHET. Her CARTOUCHESat the Speos were hammered
out by SETI I(r. 1306–1290 B.C.E.) and replaced with his
own.
Hatshepsut also erected her major monument at DEIR
EL-BAHRIon the western shore in THEBES. This is a temple
with three low, broad porticos, ramps, and terraces. The
upper terrace has square pillars that were originally faced
with Osiride statues of Hatshepsut. In the middle terrace
she constructed chapels for the gods Hathor and Anubis.
This terrace also contains reliefs concerning the expedi-
tion that was sent to Punt. Hatshepsut’s divine birth leg-
end is also depicted here. The bottom terrace has
bas-reliefs heralding the raising of her obelisks at Karnak,
and the court in front of the terraces had two pools and
MYRRHtrees in ceramic pots. Deir el-Bahri was called Dje-
seru-djeseru, “the Holy of Holies,” and was dedicated to
Amun-Ré, Ré-Horakhty, HATHOR, and ANUBIS.
Her tomb in the VALLEY OF KINGS, never used, was
one of the longest in that necropolis. Corridors form half
circles from the entrance to the burial chamber. The tomb
was not decorated, but limestone slabs, inscribed in red,
are featured. A quartzite SARCOPHAGUSwas part of the
funerary material. Tuthmosis I (1504–1492 B.C.E.) was
also buried in Hatshepsut’s tomb for a time.
Neferu-Ré, her daughter, was groomed as Hatshep-
sut’s successor and as a “GOD’S WIFE OF AMUN.” Some
scholars believe that Neferu-Ré married Tuthmosis III
and bore him a son. Her presence in Hatshepsut’s reign
added considerable support. When Neferu-Ré died in
Hatshepsut’s 11th regnal year, followed by the death or
disgrace of SENENMUT, a trusted ally, the queen-pharaoh
became vulnerable.
During her reign, Egypt remained secure, and Hat-
shepsut initiated many building projects. Although she
professed hatred for the Asiatics in her reliefs, Hatshepsut
apparently did not sponsor punitive campaigns against
them. When KADESHand its allies started a revolt c. 1458,
Tuthmosis III led the army out of Egypt and Hatshepsut
disappeared. Her statues, reliefs, and shrines were muti-
lated in time, and her body was never found. There is
some speculation concerning a female corpse discovered
in the tomb of AMENHOTEP II(1427–1401 B.C.E.) and also
speculation about a female mummy discovered in the
tomb of Hatshepsut’s former nurse, but no identificationHatshepsut 1 61The reserved area for Queen Hatshepsut in the complex of
Karnak.(S. M. Bunson.)