Mummy of Hatshepsut
The mummy of Hatshepsut, one of Egypt’s most famous female pharaohs, has been the subject of significant archaeological and forensic research. Hatshepsut reigned during the 18th Dynasty (around 1479-1458 BC), and while her tomb and her many monuments were discovered, her mummy was not immediately identifiable. For years, the location of her final resting place remained uncertain.
In the early 1900s, the mummy believed to be that of Hatshepsut was found in the Deir el-Bahari complex, in a hidden tomb originally intended for a nobleman. This tomb contained several mummies, and one was later determined to be Hatshepsut’s.
Discovery of Hatshepsut’s Mummy
The mummy of Hatshepsut was found in 1903 by Howard Carter in (KV60), in the Valley of the Kings. Carter had discovered two mummies in the tomb. One was in a coffin, the second was stretched out on the floor. Since the tomb had been ransacked in antiquity, Carter thought it of marginal interest and resealed it.
While assembling all unidentified mummies with their right arms placed across their chests as a royal posture for the Egyptian Mummy Project, some were studied with a CT-scan machine. At the same time a canopic box from the Deir el-Bahari Cachette (DB320) that was inscribed for Hatshepsut and contained her liver was also scanned.
Identification of the Mummy
In the 2000s, forensic scientists and Egyptologists conducted advanced DNA testing and analysis of the mummies found in this tomb. Among the mummies was a woman with signs of advanced age, and she had a toothless mouth and other features suggesting she could be Hatshepsut. DNA testing confirmed that this was indeed the mummy of Hatshepsut.
Interestingly, Hatshepsut’s mummy was initially misidentified for many years. It was believed to belong to another royal figure, due to the presence of inscriptions that linked it to the 18th Dynasty. However, further studies and comparisons of the DNA and physical traits helped confirm the identity.
There was also a tooth inside, a molar with a root; and when examined it was found that it fitted exactly into the mouth of one of the royal women.
After analysis of Hatshepsut’s mummy, it was concluded that she had died at about the age of fifty, that she had been obese, and that she had diabetes and cancer. The box that contained the tooth is also on display near the mummy.
Cause of Death
While the exact cause of Hatshepsut’s death is still debated, there are indications that she suffered from cancer or other ailments in her later years. CT scans and other examinations have revealed that she had signs of bone cancer or another serious illness that may have contributed to her death.
It is believed Hatshepsut was obese, had diabetes and died of some form of cancer in her middle age. After her death, her name was obliterated from the records in what is believed to have been her stepson’s revenge.
Famed British archeologist and Egyptologist Howard Carter worked on excavating the Queen’s tomb before he discovered the tomb of King Tutankhamun in the early 1920s.
Hatshepsut was one of the most prolific builder rulers of ancient Egypt, commissioning hundreds of construction projects throughout both Upper and Lower Egypt. Almost every major museum in the world today has a collection of Hatshepsut statuary.
“Hatshepsut’s achievements are relevant to us precisely because they were ultimately rejected and forgotten–both by her own people and by the subsequent authors of history. She was the most formidable and successful woman to ever rule in the ancient Western world, and yet today few people can even pronounce her name.
We can never really know Hatshepsut, but the traces she left behind teach us what it means to be a woman at the highest echelons of power; she transcended patriarchal systems of authority, took on onerous responsibilities for her family, suffered great personal losses, and shaped an amazing journey out of circumstances over which she had little control.”
— The Woman Who Would Be King, by Kara Cooney (#aff)
Significance
Hatshepsut’s reign was one of the most successful in Egyptian history, and her mummy, though not as famous as some others, provides valuable insight into her life. The tomb and burial practices that surrounded her provide additional context to her legacy as one of Egypt’s most powerful and successful female rulers.
New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, reign of Hatshepsut, ca. 1479-1458 BC. Now in the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC), Cairo. JE 56264
