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Archaeologists Reveal Why Female Pharoah's Statues Were Destroyed
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The destruction of statues of the ancient Egyptian Queen Hatshepsut may not after all have been part of a campaign of retribution by her nephew and successor, King Thutmose III, archaeologists have claimed.
Hatshepsut ruled Ancient Egypt from 1479–1458 B.C. alongside Thutmose III, who was just three years old when he became pharaoh after the death of his father.
Serving first as regent before assuming the title of pharaoh outright, Hatshepsut is one of only a few female pharaohs across ancient Egyptian history; after her death, Thutmose III ruled alone.
Statues of Hatshepsut were discovered during excavations of the mortuary temples of tombs of Deir el-Bahri in Luxor in the 1920s—but many appeared badly damaged.
This led to to questions as to whether Thutmose III had ordered the statuary of his former co-ruler to be destroyed out of some animosity towards her.
However Jun Yi Wong of the University of Toronto has undertaken an examination of previously unpublished documents on the statuary, and points out in a statement that "many of her statues survive in relatively good condition, with their faces virtually intact."
Based on his analysis of the historical field notes, Wong has concluded that much of the damage was not at Thutmose III's hand—and that which was had precedent.
Cracked face of a statue of Hatshepsut, left, and right, Osiride statue of the ruler partly restored using plaster.
Cracked face of a statue of Hatshepsut, left, and right, Osiride statue of the ruler partly restored using plaster.
Department of Egyptian Art Archives, the Metropolitan Museum of Art
According to Wong, many of the statues went on to be used as building materials and tools later in ancient Egyptian history, which would have added to their damage.
Meanwhile, statues that were confirmed to have been damaged during Thutmose III's reign were destroyed specifically by breaking them across weak points: specifically, the neck, waist and knees.
This, Wong argues, is an example of the 'deactivation' of statues—a ritualistic practice intended to neutralize the power of the representations. Examples of this practice can be found across the statuary of various kings in pharaonic history, he notes.
This means that Hatshepsut's statues were likely treated in a similar way on her death as her predecessors, rather than suffering "a vindictive attack by Thutmose III."
As Wong put it: "This treatment does not necessarily denote hostility towards the depicted individual," and there are multiple reasons for her statues to have become fragmented and destroyed.
Fragments recovered from an indurated limestone statue of Hatshepsut.
Fragments recovered from an indurated limestone statue of Hatshepsut.
Harry Burton/Department of Egyptian Art Archives, the Metropolitan Museum of Art
That said, history shows that Hatshepsut did suffer "persecution" after her death unlike other rulers of Egypt, and "its wider political implications cannot be overstated," Wong went on.
However, he added, there should be "room for a more nuanced understanding of Thutmose III's actions, which were perhaps driven by ritual necessity rather than outright antipathy."
During Hatshepsut's reign, she was often represented in art and statues as male, in accordance with tradition. Art and creativity flourished under her rule, with the Deir el-Bahri complex built during her time as ruler.
After her death, however, her name was lost, and erased from historical accounts until such was brought to light by excavations millennia later.
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Reference
Wong, J. Y. (2025). The afterlife of Hatshepsut's statuary. Antiquity, 99(405), 746–761.
