History Essay on Hatshepsut

Though it may have been unusual and rare to have a female pharaoh in Egypt, I don't believe Hatshepsut was Egypt's first. Most likely, she was the oldest woman pharaoh archaeologist have found evidence and a mummy for leading them to believe she was the first. Other women probably reigned in Egypt before Hatshepsut and were erased from history in the same way Tuthmosis III tried to erase Hatshepsut. If this is not the case, archeologists may not have discovered the evidence for the female pharaohs before Hatshepsut yet.

Hatshepsut may have worn the masculine regalia to prove to her country that she was just as strong, powerful, and capable of being the ruler as the male pharaohs. By doing this, she showed her seriousness and ability to protect her people and bring prosperity to Egypt. She may have also worn regalia to deceive foreigners and those not close to the throne that she was a male pharaoh, not a female.

Tuthmosis III ordered that all evidence of Hatshepsut's existence as ruler to be destroyed in order to hide her presence as female pharaoh of Egypt. Archaeologist believe that her statues and tombs were defaced to cover up her reign, which broke up the Tuthmosis male pharaoh lineage.

King Tut's several physical deformities were probably a result of genetic disorders. These genetic disorders were caused by interbreeding, which was common in the Egyptian royal families. Tutankhamun's parents were related and even possibly siblings, making it probable that King Tut's deformities were caused by interbreeding. While most societies at the time would remove the imperfect and unhealthy heirs, the Egyptians accepted them in their communities and even allowed them to take the position as leader. This shows that the rulers of Ancient Egypt did not have to be perfect and were allowed to rule despite their physical flaws.

In Ancient Egypt, tombs and the burial processes were significant and seen as the path to the afterlife. The mummification process was supposed to prepare the dead's body for their life after death and the tombs were made to hold the mummy and all that would be needed after death. These processes were seen as sacred to the Ancient Egyptians and a lot of time, wealth, and energy was put into preparing for death, especially for pharaohs and people of power. The mummification and burial processes were closely related to the religious beliefs in Ancient Egypt.