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Egyptian Artifacts Reading Hieroglyphs

Large Seated Statue of Hatshepsut

Here is a “Large Seated Statue of Hatshepsut” that is dated to the early 18th Dynasty (c. 1479–1458 B.C.E.), and most likely the joint reign of Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 and Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣. 

Even though Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 is “portraying herself as a male” (as described by some historians), she is actually portraying herself as the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻!

Paint can still be seen on the Broad Collar

She is wearing the nemes headdress 𓈖𓅓𓋴 and a broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝 (necklace worn by royalty/the gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹). Some of the paint 𓇨𓂋𓅱𓏭𓏸𓏦 is actually still visible on the broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝! The face on this statue is completely destroyed, and this was definitely done on purpose. 

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

𓅭𓏏𓇳 – Daughter of Ra

𓈖𓏏𓄡𓏏𓆑 – Bodily/Of Her Body

(𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪) – Hatshepsut’s cartouche (birth name)

𓌻𓇌 – Beloved

𓋹𓏏𓆖 – She Live Forever

Put together, the inscription 𓎘𓅱𓎖 reads: “Bodily daughter of Ra, Hatshepsut, beloved, May She Live Forever.” Some of the inscription 𓎘𓅱𓎖 is missing, so this is what I could see! 

Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 is very much referring to herself as a woman 𓊃𓏏𓂑𓏏𓁐 – it’s in the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! If she called herself the “Son of Ra” the inscription would look like “𓅭𓇳” instead of “𓅭𓏏𓇳. ” The word for “bodily 𓈖𓏏𓄡𓏏𓆑” is also feminized, and would be written as “𓈖𓏏𓄡𓆑” if it was referencing a male.