Students were required to write a creative "autobiography" in which they assumed the role of an ancient Egyptian and discussed the role of art in ancient Egyptian society.

Student 4

Life of Hatshepsut

I am Haptshepsut, the most successful of all female rulers of Egypt. I accomplished many things in my twenty-year reign that made me worthy of this title. I expanded trade relations, built magnificent tombs as well as restored old ones, and I kept Egypt a flourishing kingdom.

I was born in the 15th century B.C. As the only daughter of Thutmose I and Ahmes, I was the favorite of three children. My two brothers died prematurely, so upon my father's death, Thutmose II, my half-brother and husband, became king. Thutmose II lived only four hears after taking the throne. After his death, Thutmose III was named successor and I was named the young child's regent. For seven years I remained regent while the young king served as priest for the god Amon-re. I was a natural ruler. This was very apparent by the way I handled the government and the kingdom.

I always knew that Iwas destined to be the king of Egypt. How did I know? My father favored me and at night would remind me why he did so. The night I was conceived, the god Amon-Re took the form of my father and went to my mother as she slept. He planted me in her body and told her that I would be king.

As a female pharaoh, I did not want to be treated any differently than my male predecessors. To prove that I as just as powerful I wore the traditional regalia of the pharaoh. I even wore the false beard. Because of this I am portrayed as a man in many drawing and sculptures.

I made a successful attempt to expand trade between Egypt and its surrounding territories. I sent a sea expedition to the land of Punt. You would know this region as Somalia. Among the items brought back too Egypt were gold, ebony, animal skins, baboons, myrrh, and myrrh trees. Much of the expedition's finds were devoted to the state god and my father, Amon-Re.

During my reign, I managed to repair much of the damage done to buildings and monuments by the early Asian kings, the Hyksos. Another restoration project that I devoted a lot of time to was the Temple at Karnak. I renovated my father's hall; I introduced four great obelisks the stand over be hundred feet tall. I also added a new chapel to the complex.

While all of these are great accomplishments, my most splendid one is the temple at Dier-El Bahri. This magnificent structure is located across the Nile from Thebes at the Valley of the Kings. It was built as a funerary temple for my father and I. Sennment designed the temple. Not only was he a great architect, but also my lover and the father of my daughter, Nefrure. Paintings on the walls of the temple depict the story of my conception, birth, reign, and life. All of the major events are recorded in hieroglyphics. I was not supposed to be life alone in this temple for eternity. My father's body was supposed to be placed in the tomb as well. This was to emphasize the legitimacy of my succession to the throne directly through him and the god Amon-Re.

As all pharaohs do, I adopted a Horus name and had a great seal. This seal was inscribed on all monuments that I built. It consisted of four parts. The first is a standard name, which read "she who is rich, powerful through her ka." the second was the nebti, which refers to the pharaoh's dominion over both east and west. Next is my Horus name. This reads, "the divine one in her rising" The last consists of two cartouches. "Kamara," means "true double of Ra," my birth name Hatshepsut. The full name on my great seal is "the Horus, mighty by her Ka, the lord of east and west abounding in years, the good goddess, the pious lady, the golden falcon, divine in her rings, the king of upper and lower Egypt, Kamara, the daughter of Ra, Khumit Amon, Hatshepsut."

The story behind my death is a mystery and will remain that way. Some speculate that Thutmose III had me killed. After my death, he had my name removed from all monuments in Egypt. You judge for yourself.