April 22, 2016

Queen Hatshepsut's Building Blocks Discovered


                                                                    


Ancient stone blocks depicting Queen Hatshepsut have been discovered on Egypt's Elephantine Island, providing insights into the early years of her reign, Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities announced this week. The blocks may have been part of a building that served as a way station for an ancient Egyptian deity.

On several of the blocks, Queen Hatshepsut was represented as a woman, according to the Ministry, suggesting that the blocks and building it came from were erected during the early part of the first female pharaoh's reign, which lasted from 1473 B.C. to 1458 B.C. Later in her reign, the queen was depicted as a male.

Mentions of Queen Hatshepsut were erased and monuments bearing her image were defaced after her death, and her female figure was replaced with images of a male king: her deceased husband Thutmose II. It is believed that her co-ruler and stepson/nephew Thutmose III ordered the change. [Photos: The Beautiful Sarcophagus of an Egypt Pharaoh

It was unusual for a woman to become pharaoh of Egypt. As Egyptologist Ian Shaw noted in his book "Exploring Ancient Egypt" (Oxford University Press, 2003), "In the history of Egypt during the dynastic period (3000 to 332 B.C.) there were only two or three women who managed to rule as pharaohs, rather than wielding power as the 'great wife' of a male king."

And she was a builder: In his National Geographic feature on Hatshepsut "The King Herself," Chip Brown wrote about her legacy, and said she was "one of the greatest builders in one of the greatest Egyptian dynasties." During her reign, Hatshepsut erected and renovated many temples and shrines to the gods.

In fact, the newfound blocks likely were part of a previously unknown building of Queen Hatshepsut that was discovered this year by the German Archaeological Institute, said Mahmoud Afify, head of the Ancient Egyptian Antiquities Sector, in the Ministry of Antiquities' statement on Facebook. In previous excavation seasons at the same site, members of the Swiss Institute also discovered some blocks that may have come from the same building.

The building would have served as a way station for the festival barque of the god Khnum, said Felix Arnold, field director of the Elephantine Island mission. In ancient Egypt, "barques," or sacred boats, were used to help carry the dead to the afterlife.

Based on the discoveries thus far, in the same statement, the Ministry of Antiquities described the building's construction as a chamber for the barque of the god Khnum, which is surrounded by pillars on all four sides.

"On the pillars are representations of several versions of the god Khnum, as well as other gods, such as Imi-peref 'He-who-is-in-his-house,' Nebet-menit 'Lady-of-the-mooring-post' and Min-Amun of Nubia," according to the Ministry statement on Facebook. "The building thus not only adds to our knowledge of the history of Queen Hatshepsut, but also to our understanding of the religious beliefs current on the Island of Elephantine during her reign."

By Kacey Deamer
With many thanks to Live Science
Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.



Some related posts:





Chauvet Cave Paintings: Cave Women Left Their Artistic Mark

Colossal Pharaoh Statues of Amenhotep III Found in Egypt’s Temple City Luxor

Lost City of Heracleion Gives Up Its Secrets

Shilling Discovery 'Could' Rewrite Canadian History

Fake Pharaoh: Tutankhamun Replica To Safeguard Original Tomb

10,000-year-old House Uncovered Outside Of Jerusalem

Great Zimbabwe

Rock-hewn Tombs From Ancient Egypt Discovered In Aswan

Europe's Oldest Human Footprints Found: 900,000 Year-old Norfolk Footprints 'Definitely Human”

First Pharaoh Ruled Ancient Egypt Earlier Than First Thought  

The Antikythera Mechanism - The World's Oldest Known Computer

Archaeologists Digging Up Cecile B DeMille's Movie Treasures

The Lost Technology of Ancient Egyptians

The Elgin Marbles - A Continuing Controversy

Zeugma: 2,000-Year-Old Mosaics Uncovered In Turkey
 
Five Lost Cities

China's Lost Civilization: The Mystery Of Sanxingdui
 
Hatshepsut: From Queen to Pharaoh

Ancient Tomb in Amphipolis Revealed
 
Easter Island: Scientists Are Closer To Understanding What Wiped Out Its Society

The World’s Priceless Treasures

Relief of Queen Nefertiti

Gold Treasures Discovered in Ming Dynasty Tomb

Unique Mosaic Images Uncovered in Fifth-Century Synagogue 

 Philip of Macedonia, Greece’s Ancient King, Found 

Queen Nefertiti: Was She Hidden In King Tutankhamun’s Tomb?

The Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain


The Antikythera Mechanism: Second Expedition Seeks More Mechanism Remains 

 Discovery Of Ancient Cave Paintings In Petra

Scientists Find ‘Superhenge’ That Could Be Five Times The Area Of Stonehenge

New Clues to Ancient Roman Art Discovered in Egyptian Mummy Portraits

Babylonians Tracked Jupiter with Fancy Math, Tablet Reveals

Rome Reborn – An Amazing Digital Model of Ancient Rome

A Day in Pompeii

The Holigost: 600 Year Old Pride of Henry V’s Fleet May Have Been Found

Ippolito Rosellini: The Monuments of Egypt And Nubia

Gem-Filled Warrior's Tomb Discovered in Ancient Greek City  

Amenhotep’s Fragmented Book Of The Dead Found 

Acra: Ancient Citadel Unearthed In Jerusalem 

Glastonbury Legends, King Arthur’s ‘Grave’, Made Up For Cash By Monks

 Is Queen Nefertiti Buried In King Tutankhaman’s Tomb? - Latest News

King Hezekiah's Seal Impression Found

Spanish Galleon San Jose Discovered Laden With Treasure Off Colombia 

Has The Lost Island Of Kane Been Found?

Britain's Pompeii' Found at Bronze Age Settlement

New Clues to Ancient Roman Art Discovered in Egyptian Mummy Portraits

Hidden Rooms In King Tut’s Tomb May Contain Organic Material

Shipwreck Discovered From Explorer Vasco da Gama's Fleet

Ancestral Puebloans Were Hit By Boom and Bust


Has The Gateway to Ancient Greek God's Compound Been Uncovered?

Archaeologists Find 22 Ancient Greek Shipwrecks


Archaeologists Reveal Probable Sites Of Two Missions That Predate The Alamo

Palace Found At Tintagel, Fabled Birthplace Of King Arthur

 Marble Statues of Aphrodite Unearthed At Petra

Did the Greeks Help Sculpt China's Terra Cotta Warriors?

Egyptian Mummy And Temple 4200 Years Old With Well-Preserved Art Revealed