No, I will not mention Steve Martin…
Posted on June 28, 2007
by: Dr. Jerome Pestlebottom
I feel it necessary to say that I kinda go nuts for anything Egypt related. I don’t buy stuff, I just like to know more than I already do about this impressive, ancient empire.
Little History… (this is very brief and rough, so bear with me)
From 700,000 BC to 70,000 BC early humans were basic hunter/gatherers, and only had the simple hand-axe (see above) as a tool.
Around 70,000 BC the last Ice Age began, and lasted for about 60,000 years. The climate change forced the small groups of hunting/gathering Neanderthals into much closer situations with one another.
From 43,000 BC - 8,000 BC, modern man (H.S.S.) overtakes Neanderthals, and we (modern man) begin to show a flair for style… We started to fish and make new tools, like the sickle, and start to gather in groups of about 25-50 people. Bows and arrows make large impacts on hunting. Pottery makes cooking and storing food and supplies much easier.
Early Egyptian society picks up right about here. Things get easier as more and more people group together, and around 3500 BC the written hieroglyph began to hold meaning, and a script began to develop.
Considering ancient Egypt lasted (in general) from 3100 BC, when Narmer unified the people in the north and south of Egypt, until Cleopatra’s death in 30 BC, there are a plethora of significant events that occur. To say that something is more important than something else is hard to do given this length of time. But here I go.
Hatshepsut - Greatest Queen of Egypt
Married at age 12 to her 30 year-old half-brother, Thutmose II (who became Pharaoh because he married her), she was the daughter of royalty, married to royalty, who knew she wanted to rule Egypt. Thutmose II ruled Egypt for about 13 years and died without having a son by Hatshepsut. The next closest male heir was a son by a lesser wife of his, Isis, who had sired a son for him named Thutmose III.
When Thutmose II died, Thutmose III was only six or so at the time, and Hatshepsut (age 25) became interregnum regent (see above), as he was not old enough to rule. Around the time Thutmose III turned 16, Hatshepsut took a bold step, and declared herself Pharaoh, which was not unheard of, but still rare. She proceeded to rule for 21 years, until her death in 1458 BC at age 50. This makes her the longest female ruler of any indigenous dynasty in the history of the world, which is pretty impressive stuff.
She built what many Egyptologists consider the most beautiful temple in all of Egypt, the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahr (see above). Many historians consider it to be among the greatest buildings of the ancient world. The temple is located in what would become the southern section of the Valley of the Kings, and she built the first significant burial structure there. For the next 500 years, this valley was the place to be buried if you were a king and later a nobleman. Quite a trend to start.
Anyways, after her death, the men got together and decided, “Hey, maybe we shouldn’t let people know a woman was able to successfully and peacefully rule our nation for 21 years… Uh, yeah, get the chisel…” (see below)
Hatshepsut
And so it goes…
Anyways, about a century ago, a mummy was discovered that was thought to be Hatshepsut (see above), as her body had been moved from her mortuary temple after her death. In an AP story yesterday, Egyptian authorities announced that:
DNA bone samples taken from the mummy’s pelvic bone and femur are being compared to the mummy of Queen Hatshepsut’s grandmother, Amos Nefreteri, said Egyptian molecular geneticist Yehia Zakaria Gad, who was part of Hawass’ team.
While scientists are still matching those mitochondrial DNA sequences, Gad said Wednesday that preliminary results were “very encouraging.”
Hawass also said that a molar tooth found in a jar with some of the queen’s embalmed organs perfectly matched the mummy.
“We are 100 percent certain” the mummy belongs to Hatshepsut, Hawass told The Associated Press.
Well, arguably one of the most important women of the ancient world was definitively identified yesterday, and that’s pretty cool to know. So now you know, and knowing is… aw, you know the rest…
BTW, did you know that the Great Giza Pyramids (see above(did you really need this)) were constructed approximately a millennium before the events we’re talking about here?
All you Tut-heads won’t be disappointed, as I only said I wouldn’t mention Mr. Martin…
and just for the record, King Tut was NOT born in Arizona, but he did have a condo made of stone-a.
Pronunciation guide…
Thutmose - Tut-mosis
Hatshepsut - Hat-chep-soot
Deir el-Bahr - Deer el Bah-hairy
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Which one is the guy that The Rock plays in the movie?