obituary for ancient pharaoh hatshepsut

Hatshepsut, beloved pharaoh, wife to Thutmose II, mother of Neferue and stepmother of Thutmose III has died. She died of advanced diabetes and bone cancer. Her bone cancer is attributed to a carcinogenic face cream that she was known to use. She was 49 years old. 

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Hatshepsut was born in approximately 1507 BCE, she was the only child born to Thutmose I and his primary wife, Ahmose. She is preceded in death by her husband and half-brother, Thutmose II. 

Hatshepsut began her reign with her husband in 1478 BCE. Sadly, shortly after the begin of her reign Thutmose II died. Hatshepsut then became co-regent with her stepson Thutmose III and began her reign as the second female pharaoh in Egyptian history. 

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During her reign, Hatshepsut had many major accomplishments attributed to her leadership. Many successful trade routes to Punt. This was an important feat since the previous routes to Punt were disrupted during a very long enemy occupation of the lands. 

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She was also a prolific builder. She commissioned and oversaw many successful and beautiful architecture projects all over the country of Egypt. She had many pieces built at the Temple of Kamak, and also many statues created. She also very famously restored the Precinct of Mut she had two obelisks made for this restoration, that stood as the highest in world at the time of their commission.  She was also entirely responsible for the being of the Temple of Pakhet. But her crowning achievement in architecture, like many pharaohs, was her death temple located what is now known as the Valley of the Kings.  She was not only a very prosperous female leader. She was measurably more successful with her architecture projects that many leaders before her. So much so, that many later pharaoh tried to claim her work and commissions as their own. 

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She is considered for many to be the first really historically significant woman. With her poise and grace she led a very successful 22 year reign during which she was responsible for numerous amazing feats in leadership, architecture, trade and foreign policy. But for many years this information would be lost to the people of Egypt. Her stepson, Thutmose III, had many inscriptions about Hatshepsut and her works destroyed. Jealously and a need to prove his worthiness may have driven him to want to erase his stepmother and queen regent from all of Egyptian history, but nobody knows for sure and never will.

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She was entombed originally with her beloved father Thutmose I, he was then moved and Hatshepsut’s mummy was discovered in 1903 by Howard Carter. Her final resting place is in Egypt near the Valley of the Kings.