Hatshepsut

Right, say that 3 times fast.

Not just a tongue twister, she was a real person, one of the few female pharaohs of Egypt. Although there were other female pharaohs, Hatshepsut was, according to historians, the most powerful and the most effective at causing cultural change in Egypt.


Hatshepsut Exhibit @ Kimbell Museum - Fort Worth, Texas

Even though she co-ruled the country with her nephew, treating him as an equal in all decision making, it was the nephew who, after Hatshepsut's death, attempted to erase her memory from the face of planet. As the story goes, he had her name erased from every document, tablet and carving then later he blew up her tomb. Egyptologists still debate the motives of his actions, suggesting that he acted on the desires of the royal court, but in the end the joke was on him. When he exploded her tomb he created a nice little vacuum which perfectly preserved EVERYTHING, some of which is on display at this moment at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth.


Grounds @ Kimbell Museum
I found the art, artifacts and history of this exhibit to be one of the most interesting that has passed through the Kimbell in the last 13 years. If you are in the area before it leaves Fort Worth (December 31, 2006) this would be one thing not to miss.

Hatshepsut
Kimbell