Archaeologist Jun Yi Wong's research on Hatshepsut's broken statues reveals that they were ritually deactivated rather than attacked during her memory's persecution. Previously, it was believed Thutmose III, her successor, violently destroyed her statues out of animosity. Wong's investigation of historical excavation records shows that the statues suffered additional damage well after Thutmose's reign, complicating the narrative surrounding their destruction. This research encourages a reevaluation of Hatshepsut's legacy and indicates a more nuanced understanding of the interactions between past rulers.
Because these statues were discovered in highly fragmentary condition, it was assumed that they must have been violently broken up by Thutmose III, perhaps due to his animosity towards Hatshepsut.
Significantly, Wong discovered that the statues sustained extra damage long after Thutmose's reign, when they were broken up and reused as raw material, complicating the picture.
The newfound understanding challenges the conventional belief that Thutmose III violently desecrated Hatshepsut's statues, suggesting instead that the damage was a subsequent, ritualistic act.
Wong's findings remind us that the narratives surrounding historical figures like Hatshepsut are often more complex than the stories passed down through time.
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