In a new study in the journal Antiquity, entitled “The Afterlife of Hatshepsut’s Statuary,” the author analyzes archival material from the original excavations at Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahri and suggests a different motivation for the damage to the female pharaoh’s statues. While the monuments and statues of Hatshepsut were systematically destroyed after her death, the motivation behind this action is disputed. Rather than seeing it as an act of outright hostility, the author argues that the damage resulted from the “deactivation” of Hatshepsut’s statues and the reuse of the raw materials in nearby construction activities
The statues of Hatshepsut from Deir el-Bahri divide into three categories: architectural statues, sphinxes, and freestanding statues. While many of her statues were destroyed, the study notes that “many survive in relatively good condition with their faces virtually intact.” Moreover, patterns of damage and survival varied significantly between the three categories of statues, which can be explained in large part by the reuse of the stone used in the monuments. The author concludes that this is consistent with other examples of “deactivation” of statues of other pharaohs, which was intended “to neutralise the inherent power of the statues.”
Source: https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2025.64
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