Hatshepsut’s statues

This article is from Ancient Egypt issue 150

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A new study by Jun Yi Wong of the University of Toronto suggests that damage to Hatshepsut’s statues may not have been an act of animosity by Thutmose III. The examination of previously unpublished documents shows that many of the statues survive in relatively good condition with their faces intact. Wong suggests that the damage by Thutmose III was part of a tradition to ‘deactivate’ the statues of a previous ruler. This was done by breaking them at particular points, including the neck, waist, and knees. Other damage was caused much later, when the remaining statues were used as building materials.

Text: Sarah Griffiths / Image: © Metropolitan Museum of Art, Department of Egyptian Art Archives (M10C 71)