Preface
Queen Hatshepsut—or sometimes “King” Hatshepsut, in formal circumstances—
was the daughter of Pharaoh Thutmosis I, the wife (and half-sister) of Pharaoh
Thutmosis II, the stepmother and co-regent of Pharaoh Thutmosis III. She ruled
Ancient Egypt in her own right as the fifth Pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of the
New Kingdom, approximately from 1473 (perhaps 1479) to 1458 BC, with the throne
name of Maatkare. She is regarded as one of the most successful Pharaohs, preserving
power longer than any other woman of an indigenous Egyptian dynasty. Hatshepsut is
known to have been engaged in military campaigns early in her reign, but generally
is credited to be a monarch who initiated a long era of peace. She re-established
international trading relationships, disrupted during the Hyksos occupation of the
country, and brought great wealth to Egypt.
During her reign, Hatshepsut organized and funded several missions to foreign
lands, the most famous being that to the Land of Punt. This region, also called
Pwenet or Pwene, was located to the southeast of Egypt, on the littoral of either, or
both, the Horn of Africa and Southern Arabia (most likely Eritrea and neighbouring
Ethiopia). The expedition was very ambitious—Hatshepsut sent a fleet of five ships,
each measuring about 25 m length, 7 m beam and 2 m draft, bearing several sails and
30 rowers, which left Kosseir, on the Red Sea, with a total crew of about 250–300
men—and turned into a remarkable commercial, as well as diplomatic and scientific
success. Many invaluable goods were bought back—Hatshepsut herself informed us
in lengthy inscriptions that “the ships were laden with the costly products of the Land
of Punt and with its many valuable woods, with very much sweet-smelling resin and
frankincense, with quantities of ebony and ivory”—including precious myrrh and 31
live myrrh trees, the roots of which we know were kept in baskets for the duration
of the voyage.
While the trees were planted in the courts of her mortuary temple complex at
Dayr el-Bahari, near Luxor in the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut had all stages of
the expedition commemorated on the walls of her tomb’s Djeser-Djeseru, the Holy
of Holies, the Sublime of Sublimes—a colonnaded structure of perfect harmony
designed and implemented by Senemut, royal steward and architect (probably royal
lover as well) to serve for her posthumous worship and to honor the glory of Amun.
A full account of the expedition returned treasures and findings was recorded in the
vii
Queen Hatshepsut—or sometimes “King” Hatshepsut, in formal circumstances—
was the daughter of Pharaoh Thutmosis I, the wife (and half-sister) of Pharaoh
Thutmosis II, the stepmother and co-regent of Pharaoh Thutmosis III. She ruled
Ancient Egypt in her own right as the fifth Pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of the
New Kingdom, approximately from 1473 (perhaps 1479) to 1458 BC, with the throne
name of Maatkare. She is regarded as one of the most successful Pharaohs, preserving
power longer than any other woman of an indigenous Egyptian dynasty. Hatshepsut is
known to have been engaged in military campaigns early in her reign, but generally
is credited to be a monarch who initiated a long era of peace. She re-established
international trading relationships, disrupted during the Hyksos occupation of the
country, and brought great wealth to Egypt.
During her reign, Hatshepsut organized and funded several missions to foreign
lands, the most famous being that to the Land of Punt. This region, also called
Pwenet or Pwene, was located to the southeast of Egypt, on the littoral of either, or
both, the Horn of Africa and Southern Arabia (most likely Eritrea and neighbouring
Ethiopia). The expedition was very ambitious—Hatshepsut sent a fleet of five ships,
each measuring about 25 m length, 7 m beam and 2 m draft, bearing several sails and
30 rowers, which left Kosseir, on the Red Sea, with a total crew of about 250–300
men—and turned into a remarkable commercial, as well as diplomatic and scientific
success. Many invaluable goods were bought back—Hatshepsut herself informed us
in lengthy inscriptions that “the ships were laden with the costly products of the Land
of Punt and with its many valuable woods, with very much sweet-smelling resin and
frankincense, with quantities of ebony and ivory”—including precious myrrh and 31
live myrrh trees, the roots of which we know were kept in baskets for the duration
of the voyage.
While the trees were planted in the courts of her mortuary temple complex at
Dayr el-Bahari, near Luxor in the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut had all stages of
the expedition commemorated on the walls of her tomb’s Djeser-Djeseru, the Holy
of Holies, the Sublime of Sublimes—a colonnaded structure of perfect harmony
designed and implemented by Senemut, royal steward and architect (probably royal
lover as well) to serve for her posthumous worship and to honor the glory of Amun.
A full account of the expedition returned treasures and findings was recorded in the
vii