Hatshepsut Identified(?)

Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt, Zahi Hawass, thinks that one of two unidentified 3500-year old mummies from the Valley of the Kings is the 15th century B.C. female pharaoh Hatshepsut, fifth ruler of the Eighteenth dynasty. Archaeologist Howard Carter first found the mummies' tomb in 1903. The tomb (now known as KV60) holding the two mummies is thought to have been that of Hat­shep­sut’s wet-nurse, Sitre.

The mummy was poised regally, according to World Science (Archaeologists think they have mummy of Queen Hatshepsut) which says, "the po­si­tion­ing of the right arm over the wom­an’s chest sug­gested roy­al­ty." Among other items in the tomb was a box bearing Hatshepsut's name that holds a tooth. Hawass believes one of the mummies to be that of the female pharaoh because the tooth fits a space in the mouth of the "regal" mummy.

Hatshepsut's sarcophagus may have been hidden in her nurse's tomb to prevent it from being destroyed. This was a reasonable concern, since following her death, her successor is thought by some to have tried to obliterate all traces of her rule. Her successor was her stepson Thutmose III, who should have been king during the decades when Hatshepsut ruled. Hatshepsut had been married to Thutmose II, but he died, leaving as his successor Thutmose III, who was too young to rule in his own right. Hatshepsut was expected to help him out, but instead of simply acting as a regent, she donned the regalia of the pharoah. Her rule lasted about 20 years.

Hawass will present his theories about the identification of Hatshepsut in a documentary, "Secrets of Egypt's Lost Queen" for the Discovery Channel that will premiere Sunday, July 15 at 9 p.m.

Read more:

• Egyptian Archaeologists Identify Remains of Hatshepsut, Female Pharaoh.
• Hatshepsut
• Hatshepsut's Palace

Hatshepsut image © clipart.com