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By Rachael O'Connor
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The destruction of statues of the ancient Egyptian Queen Hatshepsut may not after all have been part of a campaign of retribution by her nephew and successor, King Thutmose III, archaeologists have claimed.
Hatshepsut ruled Ancient Egypt from 1479–1458 B.C. alongside Thutmose III, who was just three years old when he became pharaoh after the death of his father.
Serving first as regent before assuming the title of pharaoh outright, Hatshepsut is one of only a few female pharaohs across ancient Egyptian history; after her death, Thutmose III ruled alone.
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"Interpretations of Hatshepsut's reign have often been colored by preconceptions regarding her gender," paper author and archaeologist Jun Yi Wong of the University of Toronto told Newsweek.
"For instance, early historians often assumed that, as a woman, she must have ascended the throne via illegitimate means. Some of these views are slowly being corrected in recent decades."
Statues of Hatshepsut were discovered during excavations of the mortuary temples of tombs of Deir el-Bahri in Luxor in the 1920s—but many appeared badly damaged.
This led to to questions as to whether Thutmose III had ordered the statuary of his former co-ruler to be destroyed out of some animosity towards her.
"Hatshepsut's depictions were systematically erased by Thutmose III, her successor, following her death. Early archaeologists interpreted this as an act motivated by revenge and hatred; there was a stereotypical view that she must have been some form of an 'evil stepmother' to Thutmose III," Wong explained*,* saying the assumption when the damaged statues were found was that they "must have been broken up in some 'violent rage' by Thutmose III."
However Wong has undertaken an examination of previously unpublished documents on the statuary, and points out in a statement that "many of her statues survive in relatively good condition, with their faces virtually intact."
Based on his analysis of the historical field notes, Wong has concluded that much of the damage was not at Thutmose III's hand—and that which was had precedent.
He added: "My research indicates that a large proportion of the destruction to Hatshepsut's statues was actually caused by the reuse of these statues as raw material.
"In contrast, the destruction caused by Thutmose III was quite specific—the statues were broken across their neck, waist and knees, consistent with what is normally termed the 'deactivation' of statues.
"This form of treatment is not unique to Hatshepsut's statues, and it is also commonly found on statues of other pharaohs."
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According to Wong, many of the statues went on to be used as building materials and tools later in ancient Egyptian history, which would have added to their damage.
Meanwhile, statues that were confirmed to have been damaged during Thutmose III's reign were destroyed specifically by breaking them across weak points: specifically, the neck, waist and knees.
This, Wong argues, is an example of the 'deactivation' of statues—a ritualistic practice intended to neutralize the power of the representations. Examples of this practice can be found across the statuary of various kings in pharaonic history, he notes.
This means that Hatshepsut's statues were likely treated in a similar way on her death as her predecessors, rather than suffering "a vindictive attack by Thutmose III."
As Wong put it: "This treatment does not necessarily denote hostility towards the depicted individual," and there are multiple reasons for her statues to have become fragmented and destroyed.
He added: "The motivation behind Thutmose III's actions seems to be more nuanced and complex than sheer revenge or hatred. This, of course, changes the way that her reign and her relationship with Thutmose III are understood. In a way, it also demonstrates how gender biases could affect interpretations of the past."
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That said, Wong notes that Hatshepsut did suffer "persecution" after her death unlike other rulers of Egypt, and "its wider political implications cannot be overstated."
However, he added, there should be "room for a more nuanced understanding of Thutmose III's actions, which were perhaps driven by ritual necessity rather than outright antipathy."
During Hatshepsut's reign, she was often represented in art and statues as male, in accordance with tradition. Art and creativity flourished under her rule, with the Deir el-Bahri complex built during her time as ruler.
After her death, however, her name was lost, and erased from historical accounts until such was brought to light by excavations millennia later.
Wong's research centers on the "entire phenomenon of the erasure of Hatshepsut's images," including two-dimensional depictions such as on temple walls.
"Thus far, I have completed my research on her largest construction—her mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahri—so I am currently expanding this work to her other monuments.
"Hatshepsut was a prolific builder of monuments, so there is a lot of material to get to!"
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Update 06/24/25, 8:50 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional comments from Jun Yi Wong.
Reference
Wong, J. Y. (2025). The afterlife of Hatshepsut's statuary. Antiquity, 99(405), 746–761. https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2025.64
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