A study conducted by an archaeologist from the University of Toronto has shed new light on the fate of the statue of Pharaoh Hatshepsut, who ruled Ancient Egypt about 4,000 years ago. It turned out that its destruction was not the result of hatred from her nephew and successor Thutmose III, as previously believed, but occurred during a “deactivation” ritual. This information was published by The Art Newspaper.

Specialist June I. Wong analyzed the statue fragments and examined archival excavation materials. He discovered that the statue had suffered additional damage even before the reign of Thutmose III, when it was broken again and reused as building material.

“If we set aside all these later damages, it becomes clear that the destruction caused by Thutmose III was limited and very methodical – the statues were broken at specific weak points, consistent with how the ‘deactivation’ of Egyptian statues is often described.”

Wong also explained why this new data contradicts previous theories:

“This is quite surprising, because instead of being driven by hatred and hostility (as previously thought), the destruction of Hatshepsut’s statues appears to have been motivated by pragmatic and ritual reasons.”

These findings do not deny the fact that Hatshepsut was persecuted, but they are important for further study of her history.

The “Deactivation” Ritual

In Ancient Egypt, royal statues were considered powerful objects, and a ritual called the “opening of the mouth” was performed to bring them to life. When there was a need to dispose of a statue, for example, to free up space in a temple, it was first “deactivated” to neutralize its power. This was usually done by breaking the statue in three places: the neck, waist, and knees.

Archaeologists have found hundreds of such statues in the Karnak Temple in Luxor (ancient Thebes). It is important to note that the pharaohs who served as prototypes for these statues were not persecuted after their deaths, making Hatshepsut’s case unique.

The Sculpture of Hatshepsut

The statue of Hatshepsut was discovered in the 1920s in the archaeological zone of Deir el-Bahri, near Luxor. Since the statue was heavily damaged, archaeologists initially assumed it was destroyed by Thutmose III, the pharaoh’s nephew and successor.

Hatshepsut initially served as regent for the future pharaoh but eventually declared herself co-pharaoh. After her death, the ancient Egyptians removed her images and names from monuments, leading to the assumption that Thutmose III tried to rewrite history or was driven by hatred.