Women and Ancient Egypt

February 18, 2015

Homework

• What shows the importance of funerals in Egypt?

• What were some of the changes to Egyptian burial practices?

• Why were these changes implemented? • What is the difference between temples and

pyramids?

Women in Egypt

• Women had the same rights as any man in their class• Could own property• Land can get passed down from mother to daughter• A woman’s social standing depended on her

husband’s• Could go out freely without an escort• Could be involved in the family business or their own

Note taking time

• Take notes from page 77-79 on the role of women, men and the family.

Page Number Heading Valley Tombs

73 Valley of the Kings Secluded tombs were made to stop grave robbers from targeting Pharaoh tombs.

Who is Hatshepsut and what did she do?

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZQ4FiFTA4o&feature=youtu.be

Hatshepsut’s rise to power

• 1479-1457 BCE• married to Thutmose II (her ½ brother)• she was the step mother of Thutmose II who

inherited the throne• so she acted as regent (ruled in place of him)

and co-ruler• she then seized the throne (backed by some

high court officials and priests)• ruled for 22 years

How did Hatshepsut balance the conflict of her being Pharaoh?

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBibvXlAAC0&feature=youtu.be

What were the motivations to Hatshepsut’s depictions of herself as male?

• Some say that this was purely to maintain her power

• This also could be seen as a way of keeping ma’at

• Also the way her name is actually written displays her actual gender

What motivated Hatsheput to become Pharaoh?

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjKy7x3tGOY&feature=youtu.be

Was Hatshepsut power hungry?

• Early 20th century historians stated that her motivation was solely due to the want of power

• They characterise her as very deceptive and unscrupulous

• A counter argument is that this was perfectly expected of Hatshepsut. Once you gain the power of pharaoh you don’t give it up, you are now a god

• There may have been a competing threat from another royal family that obliged her to step in

Why were her burial monuments defaced?

• Hatshepsut’s monuments were defaced after she died by Pharaoh Thutmose III

• Her reign was stricken from many official records

• The defacing though did not happen until near the end of Thutmose’s reign, twenty years after Hatshepsut died.

Homework

• Take notes on conventions (unwritten rules) of Egyptian art using pages 75-76.

• Look at Meso/Egypt paragraph topics in handouts and choose top 3.