A 2025 study of 18 surviving Hatshepsut statue heads found half essentially intact, with 5 of 6 from the 'Hatshepsut hole' at Karnak showing undamaged faces. The breakage patterns suggest her erasure was a selective, unfinished political campaign by multiple actors—possibly including Amenhotep II—rather than a single vengeful purge.
Karnak evidence shows Hatshepsut erasure was selective and gradual, not vengeful purge
EgyptArtifactNew Research
Key facts
- Hatshepsut died around 1458 BCE; Thutmose III's systematic erasure was delayed by at least 20 years
- Charles Nims (1966) documented Karnak building sequence showing Hatshepsut's year 17 inscription was not yet erased when Thutmose III built his festival hall around years 23-24
- Hatshepsut disappeared from the historical record around year 22 of Thutmose III's reign
- A 2025 study of 18 surviving freestanding statue heads of Hatshepsut found half were essentially intact; 5 of 6 heads from the Hatshepsut hole had undamaged faces
- The breakage pattern does not show evidence of a single destructive purge
- Amenhotep II and priests of Osiris are also probably responsible for some destructions
- The erasure was a selective and unfinished political campaign over a lengthy period, likely by multiple actors
Site mentioned
Sources
The shattered statues of Queen Hatshepsut - Naturenature.com
Ritual 'retirement' rather than family feud might explain why so many figures of the female pharaoh are broken and cracked.
(PDF) The afterlife of Hatshepsut's statuary - ResearchGateresearchgate.net
Hatshepsut's statuary June 2025 … ynasty, is believed to have been targeted for violent destruction by Thutmose III, her successor.
Ancient Egyptian queen's statues were not destroyed out of hatred but ...theartnewspaper.com
Ancient Egyptian queen's statues were not destroyed out of hatred but 'deactivated', study finds Jun Yi Wong from the University of Toronto ...
Mortuary Temple and Large Kneeling Statue of Hatshepsut - Smarthistorysmarthistory.org
Hatshepsut became pharaoh and used art to convey her divine and royal authority. 6 or 8 or 10 of these kneeling figures.
Queen Hatshepsut Restored - The Metropolitan Museum of Artmetmuseum.org
Learn how conservators at The Met restored the shattered statue of Hatshepsut, Queen of Egypt.
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