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Maat-ka-Ra Hatshepsut |
last update:
09.07.2008
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Military Campaigns to Nubia |
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| It has long been the view of Egyptologists that the
reign of Hatshepsut has been a time of peace without military campaigns.
The queen, so they believed, was primarily interested in the development
and maintenance of the Two Lands after her predecessors had expelled the
Hyksos and had united the country again. |
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Responsibly for this assessment were the facts that the patriarchal view
of early male Egyptologists who did not believe that a queen could
(physically) lead the soldiers of the Two Lands on the battle fields,
consequently took it for granted that she pursued a pacifistic
policy, and as well as the obviously missing reports about military
activities from the time of Hatshepsut.
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However, they have ignored clear findings in the form of representations
or inscriptions on her dismantled buildings, destroyed relief at Djeser
djeseru, a graffito at Sehel and the stela of a certain Djehutj. |
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Above a part of a relief from the temple Djeser djeseru of Hatschepsut
that shows an bowman (limestone, 14.5 x 17 cms; from: The Walters Art Museum,
No. 22.98, Baltimore, USA). Such representations of elite soldiers are on several relief
scenes in the
Chapel of Hathor and also on the upper terrace. They unambiguously
show that an adequate attention was given to the military requirements of
the empire. |
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E. Naville wrote in his report about the excavation of Deir el-Bahari, Part III
(London 1898): |
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The fragments of inscriptions found in the course of the excavations at Deir
el Bahari show that during Hatshepsut's reign wars were waged against the
Ethiopians, and probably also against the Asiatics. Among these wars that
which the queen considered the most glorious, and which she desired to be
recorded on the walls of the temple erected as a memorial of her high deeds,
was the campaign against the nations of the Upper Nile.
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On the short wall closing the eastern portico on the south side, there was
a sculpture describing that campaign. The god of Nubia, Tetun (i.e. Dedun) was seen
bringing to the queen a series of captive nations or places, each of them
represented, as usual, by a crenellated cartouche surmounted by a negro head.
This sculpture had been entirely carried away by the Copts to the upper part
of the temple; nothing of it remained in situ except the end-signs of
some of the cartouches. However, several blocks have been recovered; among
them the figure of the god Tetun and a few of the prisoners. Most of these
blocks were built into the supporting wall of the central court. |
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All people depicted belong to the land of
Kush, and they are called by Tetun
Khasetu resu (the nation of the South) or
Antin Khent, (the Anti of Nubia). ..... |
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In addition, the "Count, Treasurer of the King of Lower Egypt, Sole Friend,
Chief Treasurer, the one concerned with the booty",
Ty (Tai), wrote in his graffito on the island Sehel: |
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I followed the Good God, His Majesty [.....] may she live. I have seen (H.M.)
overthrowing the
Iwn-[...] , (and that) he brought
their chiefs home as living prisoners . |
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I saw him destroying the country of NHs,
while I was in the following of His Majesty. I was a royal messenger doing what
is said..." |
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Graffito of Ty at Sehel (from: Habachi, L., JNES 16, 1957). The remaining signs inside the cartouche
can easily completed to read "Maat-ka-Ra". The horizontal line of text
below the inscription tells that the inscription was made by the draughtsman of Amun, Amenmesse. |
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According to Habachi (1957) Ty's titles are all well-known with the exception of the
last one "xf a" - the word means "
seize, grasp, make booty (in a campaign) " (Hannig, 1997, p. 597) - therefore,
one must assume that this Ty participated "...I was in the following of His Majesty.." in the campaign
- most likely not serving in the military operations but as a civil official - and was an eyewitness. |
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Since there is no date it is not clear when this campaign (or more likely
supression) had took place.
However, the title "Good God" testifies that the campaign was undertaken after
her accession to the throne. |
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Later this Ty also served Thutmosis III and was mentioned 5 years after the
death of Hatshepsut, i.e. regnal year 25, on a stela erected at Serabit el-Khadim
(Ratie, 1974). |
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In the same publication Habachi pointed out that this inscription is the
occasion to reconsider some text fragments from the tomb of
Senenmut (TT71) and a part on the stela of Djehutj mounted in his tomb (TT11). |
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The text fragment from the tomb of Senenmut reads (Urk. IV, 399; German translation by
Blumenthal, et. al., 1984): |
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[....] the appearance of (?) [....] southern country (tA-nHsj)
[....] made by (?) [...] your figure (?) [.....I have] seized [.....]
ribbon [.....] seize for the 3rd time [...] everyone [....] |
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To "seize" is to be interpreted here probably as to "collect the spoils of war".
Furthermore, since Senenmut did not claim to have been in Nubia before the reign Hatshepsut, the
text must refer to a campaign under Hatshepsut.
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In his tomb (TT11) the Overseer of the Treasury, Overseer of the
Craftsmen, Djehutj, let cut two
stela into the north wall of the court, among them one which was later called
the "Northampton stela". This stela had been erected on the right side of
the court, next to the passageway to the hall. The stela reports about the
numerous jobs which were done under the supervision of this Djehutj. The
biographical part of the text contains the following report (Urk. IV, 438;
german translation by
Blumenthal, et. al., 1984): |
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"[I] have monitored [the measuring of the booty] of this strong [king] out
of the
miserable [Kush] (are measured) like figs. [...] the ruler - he may live, be
safe and healthy - [even ...] a marvelous Heqat of Electron. And the counter
said a number (greater) [than] they .... " |
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On account of this description of Djehutjy Habachi believes that the queen not
only accompanied her troops to Kush but also that Djehutj has observed the
queen herself collecting booty.
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Meanwhile, at least four Nubian campaigns are attributed to Hatshepsut during
corulership with Thutmosis III. Most likely, Thutmosis III participated in some
or possibly in all campaigns to Nubia (O' Connor in: Cline, O' Conner, 2006). |
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