‘Foremost of Noble Ladies’: The dental identification of the Egyptian Queen Hatshepsut
By Xavier Riaud
Dental History Magazine, Vol.4:1 (2010)
Abstract: In 1922, Howard Carter, the British Egyptologist, discovered and excavated the tomb of the boy-king, Tutankhamun. In the same celebrated expedition, Carter located the tomb of Hatshepsut, one of the most charismatic queen-pharoahs of ancient Egypt. Alas, her resting-place was empty. It would be decades before the mummified remains of this elusive queen were recovered. In this edition of Dental History Magazine, Dr Xavier Riaud discusses the fascinating series of events which lead to the identification of her mummy through the examination of her dentition by Dr Zahi Hawass and his team.
Introduction: When Pharoah Thutmose II died in 1479 B.C. after a short reign he left only one young son to succeed him, Thutmose III.1 However the latter was not the son of the ‘Great Royal Wife’, Hatshepsut. (The name means foremost of royal ladies.) Hatshepsut was the fifth queen-pharoah of the eighteenth dynasty of Ancient Egypt the late pharoah’s wife and half-sister. The new pharoah was the son of a lesser wife of Thutmose II. 2 Queen Hatchepsut reacted to the succession by proclaiming herself the rightful ‘King’ of Egypt. She asserted that she was not only her father’s intended heir but also that he had made her the heir apparent of Egypt. She therefore became co-regent with Thutmose III and re- assumed the responsibilities of state as the ‘Great Royal Wife’, and the wife of the god Amun. But her decrees were made in the name of the reigning boy king, Thutmose III.
In the seventh year of the young king’s reign the queen assumed the double crown of upper and lower Egypt and the five royal symbols: the two scepters, the false beard, the short loin cloth (kilt) and the bull’s tail which signified power. She proclaimed herself to be the daughter of Amun-Ra, the king of the Egyptian gods who had chosen her to succeed him.3 Although she occupied the throne alongside Thutmose III, Hatshepsut did not attempt to usurp him. Indeed, even if two ‘kings’ reigned there was only one royal government. The queen trained the young king in the duties of royalty. Under her tutelage, Thutmose III became a notable war chief. But Hatshepsut herself is known for her peaceful, prosperous reign and as one of the most prolific builders in ancient Egypt. Manetho, the Egyptian priest and historian, (3rd century B.C.), recorded that Hatshepsut reigned for almost twenty two years. She was distinguished by her subtle intelligence and iron will. When she died, Thutmose III succeeded as sole ruler. As chief mourner he performed Hatshepsut’s funeral rites but later, in order to consolidate his power, the king erased all references to her name and removed all images of her from the temples.
By Xavier Riaud
Dental History Magazine, Vol.4:1 (2010)
Abstract: In 1922, Howard Carter, the British Egyptologist, discovered and excavated the tomb of the boy-king, Tutankhamun. In the same celebrated expedition, Carter located the tomb of Hatshepsut, one of the most charismatic queen-pharoahs of ancient Egypt. Alas, her resting-place was empty. It would be decades before the mummified remains of this elusive queen were recovered. In this edition of Dental History Magazine, Dr Xavier Riaud discusses the fascinating series of events which lead to the identification of her mummy through the examination of her dentition by Dr Zahi Hawass and his team.
Introduction: When Pharoah Thutmose II died in 1479 B.C. after a short reign he left only one young son to succeed him, Thutmose III.1 However the latter was not the son of the ‘Great Royal Wife’, Hatshepsut. (The name means foremost of royal ladies.) Hatshepsut was the fifth queen-pharoah of the eighteenth dynasty of Ancient Egypt the late pharoah’s wife and half-sister. The new pharoah was the son of a lesser wife of Thutmose II. 2 Queen Hatchepsut reacted to the succession by proclaiming herself the rightful ‘King’ of Egypt. She asserted that she was not only her father’s intended heir but also that he had made her the heir apparent of Egypt. She therefore became co-regent with Thutmose III and re- assumed the responsibilities of state as the ‘Great Royal Wife’, and the wife of the god Amun. But her decrees were made in the name of the reigning boy king, Thutmose III.
In the seventh year of the young king’s reign the queen assumed the double crown of upper and lower Egypt and the five royal symbols: the two scepters, the false beard, the short loin cloth (kilt) and the bull’s tail which signified power. She proclaimed herself to be the daughter of Amun-Ra, the king of the Egyptian gods who had chosen her to succeed him.3 Although she occupied the throne alongside Thutmose III, Hatshepsut did not attempt to usurp him. Indeed, even if two ‘kings’ reigned there was only one royal government. The queen trained the young king in the duties of royalty. Under her tutelage, Thutmose III became a notable war chief. But Hatshepsut herself is known for her peaceful, prosperous reign and as one of the most prolific builders in ancient Egypt. Manetho, the Egyptian priest and historian, (3rd century B.C.), recorded that Hatshepsut reigned for almost twenty two years. She was distinguished by her subtle intelligence and iron will. When she died, Thutmose III succeeded as sole ruler. As chief mourner he performed Hatshepsut’s funeral rites but later, in order to consolidate his power, the king erased all references to her name and removed all images of her from the temples.
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