Thesis (M.A.), English , Creative Writing--University of Central Oklahoma, 2007. / A screenplay.

Doctorat en philosophie et lettres / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

I investigate why gendered images of Hatshepsut influenced androgynous images of Nefertiti in New Kingdom Egypt and how Nefertiti and Akhenaten used their images in the promotion of their monotheistic religion; through a contextual, stylistic and feminist examination of the images. Hatshepsut cultivated images of herself to legitimize her rule in relation to canonical kings before her. Similarly, Nefertiti represented herself as a figure indiscernible from Akhenaten, creating an image of female co-rulership. Although the visual representations of both Hatshepsut and Nefertiti differ, the concepts behind each are analogous. They both manipulated androgyny to create images displaying powerful women equal in status to male Egyptian kings.

Ancient Egyptian human remains, mummified and skeletal, have been studied for centuries by archaeologists and egyptologists, who have focused on mummification techniques, palaeopathology and signs of activity. However, some of these studies have been lacking in taphonomic and osteological knowledge. This dissertation considers if some of the interpretations of osteoarchaeological data in these studies can be better explained by taphonomic processes, a more in-depth knowledge of paleopathology and osteological identification techniques. As a result, the interpretations of terrible working and life conditions at Tell el Amarna, the capital city founded by Akhenaten were created by interpreting common pathologies as indications of forced labor and poor diet, and by ignoring facts about the context.  The identifications of KV55 and KV60-A individuals cannot be considered valid. No reliable radiologic methods exist that can age an individual between the ages of 35-45. A damaged vertebra and a femur were incorrectly said to contain osteophytes. The damages described in the cranium and teeth of this individual may even be of peri-mortem origin. The tooth used to identify KV60-A with Hatshepsut does not have the wear expected for the age group of the individual, while the cranial morphology shows a high indication of masculine traits.  Unknown man E, Unknown woman A and the Greek-roman mummy seemed to have been affected by common taphonomic and archaeothanatological processes. The healing process of the mandibula and maxilla makes it unlikely that the so called “bridges” were used during life. In conclusion, a much deeper knowledge of taphonomy, paleopathology and general osteological knowledge in these studies would have been necessary to avoid misinterpretations.

The essay analyses the changes of the Opet festival procession between the regents Hatshepsut and Tutankhamun, as some changes of the procession occur during this period. The purpose of this study is to fill in some of the knowledge gaps that exist and to combine different areas that have been researched with areas ​​where little research has been done. The purpose is to provide an insight into how the environment and politics played a role in the religious contexts of the Opet festival. The approach uses the reliefs of the Opet festival found in Luxor Temple and in Karnak Temple to see how the festival changed. By examining how the festival procession evolved and analysing what the changes were due to, one can answer the main question: Why did the processions in the Opet festival change? The focus will be to analyse Hatshepsut (1479–1457 B.C.), Amenhotep III (1388–1351 B.C.) and Tutankhamun's (1341–1323 B.C.) political and religious position, and to investigate whether it affected the development of the procession of the Opet Festival and if so, how it affected the change. Furthermore, by analysing the landscape through the study of the movement of the Nile and the annual cycle of the river and using the concepts of "constructed landscapes" and "ideational landscapes" as a starting point for analysing the temples and processional ways. This study also provides something for future projects to build on, as there are currently not many studies on the processions of the Opet Festival, more research is needed in this area. Since this is an approach that has not been done before, by looking at the political and historical aspects as well as the environmental aspects and how they affect the processions of the Opet festival, will this fill some of the knowledge gaps currently present. / Uppsatsen analyserar förändringarna i Opet festivalens processioner mellan regenterna Hatshepsut och Tutankhamun, då många förändringar i processionen skedde under denna period. Syftet med denna studie är att fylla några av de kunskapsluckor som finns genom att kombinera olika områden som det har forskats mycket om för att analysera ett område som det inte har forskats lika mycket om. Syftet är att ge en inblick i hur miljön och politiken spela en roll i de religiösa sammanhangen som fanns i forntida Egypten. Tillvägagångsättet kommer vara att använda relieferna av Opet festivalen som finna i Luxortemplet och i Karnaktemplet för att se hur festivalen förändrades. Genom att undersöka och redovisa hur processionen under festivalen utvecklades och analysera vad de förändringarna berodde på, kan studien besvara huvudfrågan: Varför förändrades processionerna i Opet festivalen? Fokuset kommer vara att analysera Hatshepsut (1479–1457 f.v.t.), Amenhotep III (1388–1351 f.v.t.) och Tutankhamuns (1341–1323 f.v.t.) politiska och religiösa ståndpunkt, samt undersöka om det påverkade utvecklingen av Opet festivalens procession och i så fall hur det påverka förändringen. Samt analysera landskapet genom att studera Nilens rörelse och översvämning och även använda begreppen konstruerat -och idémässigt landskap som startpunkt för att analysera templen och processionsvägarna. Denna studie kan också ge något för framtida projekt att bygga på, då det i nuläget inte finns många undersökningar om Opet festivalens processioner, behövs det mer forskning inom detta område. Då det här är en infallsvinkel som inte gjorts tidigare, genom att kolla på de politiska och historiska aspekterna samt miljöaspekterna och hur de påverka processionerna av Opet festivalen, kommer detta fylla några av de kunskapsluckor som finns i nuläget.

L’accession de la reine Hatchepsout à la royauté durant le règne d’un autre roi, Thoutmosis III, dont elle est la régente est en tout point remarquable puisqu’elle aboutit à l’existence de deux co-rois contemporains. L’exceptionnalité de la situation offre un prisme singulier permettant d’identifier des mécanismes iconographiques et phraséologiques liés à l’expression de l’identité royale en Égypte ancienne. Un examen critique des abondants vestiges de cette période et une nouvelle lecture des principales inscriptions à caractère politique de la reine conduiront à formuler une série d’hypothèses relatives au déroulement et aux motivations de cette prise de pouvoir. Une nouvelle datation pour les premières attestations d’hostilité vis-à-vis de la mémoire de la reine sera également proposée à la lumière de découvertes récentes faites dans le temple de Karnak. La question du rapport de la reine à son histoire sera également examinée et les soupçons de manipulations historiques liées à sa « corégence fictive » avec son père, roi défunt, écartées. La confrontation des éléments relatifs à l’expression de l’identité du roi au début de la XVIIIe dynastie issus du corpus phraséologique réuni dans ce travail avec la documentation historique du règne d’Hatchepsout nourrira la réflexion engagée sur la définition des éléments qui fondent la légitimité d’un individu à être roi. / The accession of queen Hatshepsut as king during the reign of another king for whom she was regent, Thutmosis III, is remarkable in all respects since it resulted in co-rulers. This unparalleled situation offers a unique opportunity to identify the iconographic and phraseological mechanisms that could be mobilised in the expression of royal identity. Critical examination of the historical evidence from this period, including new readings of Hatshepsut’s main political inscriptions, leads to a number of new hypotheses for understanding this process and the underlying motivations. The suggested date for the first attested hostility toward the queen’s memory is challenged in light of recent discoveries in the temple of Karnak. Questions relating to how Hatshepsut’s history was presented are discussed, and her “fictitious co-regency” with her father Thutmosis I is dismissed. A corpus of expressions of royal identity from the early eighteenth dynasty is compared with the historical documentation from Hatshepsut’s reign, offering new perspectives on how individual royal legitimacy could be defined.

Le but de la thèse est d’analyser l’importance idéologique et religieuse des expéditions égyptiennes au pays de Pount, particulièrement sous la XVIIIe dynastie. La 1ère partie (chapitres 1-4) présente en détail les sources relatives aux expéditions pountites et des produits en rapportés. Bien que la prééminence soit réservée aux sources de la XVIIIe dynastie, les documents datant d’autres périodes ont été aussi inclus dans les analyses. La 2e partie (chapitres 5-8) constitue une synthèse des conclusions formulées en résultat des analyses faites dans la 1ère partie. De cette façon, l’auteur examine les divers toponymes relatifs au pays de Pount (chapitre 5), le problème de la localisation exacte de Pount (chapitre 6), le caractère des expéditions pountites en comparaison aux autres types des missions étrangères égyptiennes (chapitre 7) aussi bien que les divers liens entre le pays de Pount et la religion et l’idéologie du pouvoir en Égypte (chapitre 8). L’auteur conclut que Pount jouait un rôle crucial dans l’idéologie du pouvoir égyptienne étant particulièrement associé au dieu solaire aussi bien qu’à la déesse Hathor. Les produits pountites étaient extrêmement importants tant pour le culte funéraire royal et privé que pour le culte divin rendu dans les temples. C’est pourquoi l’organisation d’une expédition pountite était un devoir du roi qui, selon les croyances égyptiennes, obéissait à un ordre direct du dieu solaire. En plus, aux diverses époques on peut percevoir une volonté de rétablir les contacts avec Pount afin de restaurer l’ordre naturel après une période de la crise, ce qui est particulièrement visible sous le règne d’Hatchepsout de la XVIIIe dynastie. / The aim of the dissertation is to analyse the religious and ideological significance of the ancient Egyptian Punt expeditions, particularly in the 18th dynasty. In the first part (chapters 1-4) the sources concerning the ancient Egyptian Punt expeditions as well as the products imported to Egypt in their result were discussed in detail. Although the pre-eminence is given to the 18th dynasty sources, documents from other periods were also included in the analysis. The second part (chapters 5-8) constitutes a synthesis of the conclusions drawn in result of the analysis of the sources of the first part. Therefore, the author discusses various toponyms related to the land of Punt (chapter 5), the problem of Punt’s exact location (chapter 6), the character of the Punt expeditions in comparison with other foreign missions (chapter 7) as well as various links between the land of Punt and Egyptian religion and ideology of kingship (chapter 8). The author concludes that the land of Punt played an important role in the Egyptian ideology of kingship being especially associated with the sun-god as well as with the goddess Hathor. Puntite products were crucial for both royal and private funerary cult as well as for the divine cult carried out in the temples. This is why the organisation of a Punt expedition was a duty of the Egyptian king, who, according to Egyptian beliefs, was obeying a direct order of the sun-god. Moreover, in various periods we may observe a wish to re-establish the contacts with Punt in order to restore the natural order of things after a period of crisis, which is especially visible in the reign of Hatshepsut of the 18th dynasty.

Au XVIe siècle avant J.-C., Thoutmosis III fit construire un sanctuaire en granit rose dans le temple d’Amon, à Karnak. Cet édifice, nommé Outjes-khâou, « (celui qui) exalte les apparitions d’Amon », servait d’abri principal à la barque du dieu, qui était portée en procession lors des grandes fêtes thébaines. Remplaçant la chapelle Rouge d’Hatshepsout, il resta debout jusqu’à ce que Philippe Arrhidée, le découvrant « ruiné », ordonne sa reconstruction. C’est son sanctuaire de barque en granit qui se dresse actuellement au même emplacement. La première tâche de ce travail a consisté à rechercher les blocs épars qui composaient le sanctuaire thoutmoside. Dispersés sur les 25 hectares du site de Karnak, parfois remployés dans des monuments postérieurs, ces fragments ont été identifiés, photographiés, documentés et leurs décors, dessiné. Les fonds photographiques, les journaux et rapports de fouilles des premiers directeurs des travaux de Karnak ont été dépouillés afin de déterminer la provenance de ces blocs et l’histoire de leur découverte. L’étude architecturale a ensuite été effectuée. L’analyse du décor reconstitué a fourni des données sur les aspects religieux, cultuels et politiques du règne de Thoutmosis III et permis d’identifier certaines de ses constructions. L’élément clé de cette étude est la proposition d’une nouvelle date du remplacement de la chapelle Rouge par Outjes-khâou, pour l’an 30, à l’occasion de la première fête-sed du roi. Suivant cette hypothèse, de nouvelles séquences chronologiques ont été proposées pour la construction et la décoration d’Outjes-khâou et des édifices qui l’entouraient, au cœur de Karnak. / In the 16th century BC, Thutmose III built a red granite sanctuary in the center of the temple of Amun in Karnak. This monument, named Utjes-khau “(the one who) exalts Amun’s appearances”, was used as the main resting place for the sacred bark which was carried in procession during the great Theban feasts. Replacing Hatshepsut’s Red Chapel, the shrine of Thutmose III remained standing until Philip Arrhidaeus, finding it “ruined”, ordered it to be constructed anew. Today, Arrhidaeus’ own granite bark shrine remains in situ. The first task of this research was to look for the blocks of the Thutmosid bark shrine, which were scattered across the 25 hectare area of the Karnak temples and sometimes were reused in later monuments. They were photographed, documented and drawn. The photographic collections, excavation journals and reports of the earlier field directors of Karnak have been analyzed in order to find out the find spot and the history of these blocks’ discovery. Following this, the architectural study of the bark shrine could be made. The analysis of reconstituted decoration allowed the identification of some of Thutmose III’s monuments and provided new data on religious, cultic and political aspects of his reign. The key issue of this study is the proposal of a new date for the replacement of the Red Chapel by Utjes-khau for the king’s first sed-festival in year 30. According to this hypothesis, new chronological sequences are proposed for the building and decoration of Utjes-khau and the monuments surrounding it at the center of Karnak.

The thesis examined the roles and contributions of Black women during the African ancient civilization by analyzing the lives, roles and contributions of Queen Hatshepsut and Nefertiti as case studies and interrogates how Black women positioned themselves as political, military and spiritual leaders during the age of antiquity. The argument is that African women were more involved as leaders in the affairs of their communities as compared to the contemporary times. By using African centered paradigms, Afrocentricity and juxtaposing robust anti-colonial and Black feminist thoughts, the thesis investigates and recreates systematic narratives of the past roles of African women at the very height of African civilization, discussed the changes in sex-gender roles and explained why contemporary women continue to experience difficulties in assessing position of leadership and resources. The study reproduces measured facts to confront the blurred roles and contributions of African women and situates it at the centre of education.

The thesis examined the roles and contributions of Black women during the African ancient civilization by analyzing the lives, roles and contributions of Queen Hatshepsut and Nefertiti as case studies and interrogates how Black women positioned themselves as political, military and spiritual leaders during the age of antiquity. The argument is that African women were more involved as leaders in the affairs of their communities as compared to the contemporary times. By using African centered paradigms, Afrocentricity and juxtaposing robust anti-colonial and Black feminist thoughts, the thesis investigates and recreates systematic narratives of the past roles of African women at the very height of African civilization, discussed the changes in sex-gender roles and explained why contemporary women continue to experience difficulties in assessing position of leadership and resources. The study reproduces measured facts to confront the blurred roles and contributions of African women and situates it at the centre of education.