E X P L O R I N G W O R L D H I S T O R Y

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A Cobblestone Publication

WHERE? EGYPT

WHEN? 18TH Dynasty (c. 1570–1293 B.C.)

MummyMysterySolved with a Tooth

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F E A T U R E S2 Most Noble of

Noble Womenby Joyce Tyldesley

4 Divine Kingshipby Salima Ikram and Janice Kamrin

6 Women ofAchievement: Queen Tiyby Charles F. Baker

7 The Woman Who Would Be Kingby Janice Kamrin and Salima Ikram

9 What’s in a Beard?by Ramadan B. Hussein

10 Symbols of Powerby Charles F. Baker

12 Egypt on the Marchby Noreen Doyle

16 Eternal Egypt by Ramadan B. Hussein

19 Foreman of the Foremenby Angela Murock Hussein

24 Looking to the Futureby Angela Murock Hussein

28 Female Sphinxesby Joyce Tyldesley

30 Reversal of Fortuneby Eric H. Cline

33 Women of Achievement: Al-Khansaby Charles F. Baker

34 Family Valuesby Edward Brovarski

35 Who’s Who?by Salima Ikram and Janice Kamrin

38 Queens Ruleby Joyce Tyldesley

42 Modern Women of Achievementby Charles F. Baker

A C T I V I T I E SD E P A R T M E N T S

Have a question about world history?CALLIOPE would loveto answer it.

Write to: CALLIOPE, 30 Grove St., Peterborough, NH 03458 or e-mail: askcalliope@caruspub.com

2 Musings

15 Map: The World of Hatshepsut

15 Time Line

22 Fun With Words

45 Off the Shelf

45 On the Net

46 Ask CALLIOPE

47 From Our Readers

48 FROM PAST TO PRESENTLegacy of a Female Pharaohby Angela Murock Hussein

41 Make Your Own Mummy Handby Ken Feisel

44 An Obelisk of Wordsby Charles F. Baker

Editorial and Marketing Office: CALLIOPE, 30 Grove Street, Peterborough, NH 03458. Telephone: 603-924-7209.CALLIOPE (ISSN 1050-7086) (USPS 000-943) is published 9 times a year, monthly except forcombined May/June, July/August, and November/December issues by Cobblestone PublishingCompany, a division of Carus Publishing Company, 315 Fifth St eet, Peru, IL 61354. Periodicalspostage paid at Peru, IL, and at additional mailing offices. One-year subscription (9 issues)$33.95; $15.00 additional per year outside the U.S. (includes Canadian GST/HST). Please remit in U.S. funds (GST #130428204). Prices subject to change. Back issue prices available onrequest. For SUBSCRIPTIONS, CHANGE OF ADDRESS, and ADJUSTMENTS, write to CALLIOPE,P.O. Box 9306, La Salle, IL 61301-9306. Please give both new address and old address as

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ADVISORY BOARD

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Martha S. Joukowsky: Professor Emerita, BrownUniversity, Department of Anthropology Center for Old World Archaeology and Art; Director, BrownUniversity Petra ‘Great’ Temple Excavations

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Institution

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CONSULTING EDITORS

CALLIOPE would like to thank Eric H.Cline (archaeologist and AssociateDirector [USA] of the MegiddoExcavations in Israel), Noreen Doyle(Egyptologist), Angela MurockHussein (archaeologist), RamadanB. Hussein (adjunct professor ofanthropology at Rhode IslandCollege), Salima Ikram (professor of Egyptology at The AmericanUniversity in Cairo), Janice Kamrin(Egyptologist), and Joyce Tyldesley(lecturer in Egyptology at ManchesterUniversity and research fellow atLiverpool University) for theirinvaluable help with this issue.

ABOUT THE COVER:“I’m Hatshepsut! Let me introduce you to my world!” This statue fragmentwas found at Hatshepsut’s mortuarytemple at Deir el-Bahri (see pages24–27). (PHOTO: © THE SUPREME COUNCIL

OF COUNCIL OF ANTIQUITIES [SCA], EGYPT,

AND THE HAWASS LIBRARY)

55

CALLIOPE is pronounced kuh LIE o pee. In ancient

Greek and Roman mythology,Calliope was the Muse of

epic poetry and eloquence.The ancients honored the

Muses as the goddesses ofthe arts and sciences.

1 The ancient Egyptians called this waterway the“River of Life.” The ancient Greeks called itNeilos, “River Valley,” the root of its name today.

2 The Nile has two main tributaries,the White Nile (named for its milky-like appearance)and the Blue Nile. The two tributaries join togetherin Sudan, and then flow north through Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea.

3 If you add the lengths of the Nile andits tributaries, the sum total is 4,132miles, the longest river systemin the world.

4 The source of the White Nile is inRwanda; of the Blue Nile, Ethiopia. The water system, as a whole, flows through 10 countriesin Africa.

5 Unlike many of the world’swaterways, the Nile’s waters flow from south to north.

NEWSYNILEFACTS

NEWSYNILEFACTS

WHY DID HATSHEPSUT,

A WOMAN,CHOOSE TO BE A KING?

An interesting question—but one with asimple answer. In the ancient Egyptian

language, the word for “king” was masculineand the word for “queen” meant “Great

Royal Wife.” Thus, even though it was not a perfect fit, “king” seemed the best choice.

There are, however, two other questions thatare also intriguing: “How did Hatshepsut

come to be king?” and “How did she performin this role?” This time the answers are not so simple. In fact, scholars are still trying to

find the most accurate answers. For the lateston one of history’s most intriguing

personalities, read on!

by Joyce Tyldesley

Hatshepsut may have been only12 years old when she becamethe wife of Egypt’s king. Her

husband, Thutmose II, was her half-brother and had inherited the throne of Egypt from their father, Thutmose I,around 1492 B.C. Thus, Hatshepsut was the “King’s Daughter” and “King’sSister.” And, Hatshepsut was the child of her father’s Great Royal Wife,Ahmose, while Thutmose II was the son of one of their father’s minor wives.

Wife and MotherWe know little about this stage of

Hatshepsut’s life. Images of her at thetime show a typical Egyptian ladywearing a tight sheath dress and a longwig. We know that she had a daughter,

Above: Majesty and might still greet allthose who visit Hatshepsut’s mortuarytemple at Deir el-Bahri.

MUSINGS

I have no enemyin any land,

all countries are my subjects.

—Inscription carved on the base of one of Hatshepsut’s obelisks at Karnak

HATSHEPSUT

MostNoble

ofNobleWomen

2

young child or even a baby when he cameto the throne.

As Iset was not considered sufficientlyroyal to act on behalf of her son,Hatshepsut ruled for him. Thisarrangement, known as a regency, wasnot unusual. Rather, it was acceptedpractice that a widowed queen shouldrule for her minor son. Hatshepsut,however, was being asked to act on behalfof a boy who was not her own son.

For several years, Hatshepsut allowed the records to show the young Thutmosetaking precedence in all activities. She did,however, commission a pair of obelisks—tall, thin, stone shafts whose gold-coatedtips shone in the strong sunlight. Thesewere placed in front of the Karnak temple. By the time the obelisks were cut, Hatshepsut had become king of Egypt, and her new titles were engraved on the stone shafts.

Joyce Tyldesley, a lecturer in Egyptology atManchester University and a researcher at Liverpool University, is Dr. Dig for CALLIOPE’s sister magazine, DIG.

Neferure, but no son, and that she tookthe important religious position of “God’sWife of Amun,” a position that allowedher to participate in the religious ritualsperformed in the Karnak temple. And weknow that she built a tomb in the WadiSikkat Taka ez-Zeida, a remote ravine onthe west bank of the Nile at Thebes.

A Suitable TombHatshepsut had her tomb built high up

a cliff, facing west. It was a site chosen todiscourage robbers, and, indeed, it provedalmost inaccessible for its excavator,Howard Carter. Actually, he managed to gain access to the tomb by danglingprecariously from a rope.

Carter discovered that the tombconsisted of an entrance stairwaydescending to a doorway that led to agallery, an antechamber, and a secondgallery with a burial chamber. One of thegalleries housed a sarcophagus made ofquartz. Its lid, which was found proppedagainst a corner of the coffin, wasinscribed with a prayer to the goddess Nut:

O my mother Nut, stretch over me so that you may place me amongst theundying stars that are in you, and that I may not die.

Hatshepsut’s tomb, however, had neverbeen used. It was abandoned before theshaft, which had been cut into the floor ofthe burial chamber, could be completed.

The Making of a QueenWhen Thutmose II died unexpectedly

after just 13 years on the throne, the crownpassed to Hatshepsut’s stepson, Thutmose III.He was the son of Thutmose II and a ladynamed Iset. His exact age at the time of hisaccession is unrecorded, but given that hereigned for more than 50 years and thathis mummy was not that of an elderlyman, we can conclude that he was a

Hatshepsut (left) honorsthe creator god Atum in this relief carved on a pillar she had built

at Elephantine,an island in the NileRiver.

3

T he king ofEgypt was theonly person

who could talk to thegods. In fact, he wasconsidered a godhimself. During hislifetime, he wasthought to be the godHorus on earth. Afterhis death, he becamethe god Osiris, and thenew pharaoh becamethe new Horus.

The story of Horusand Osiris played animportant role in the

ancient Egyptians’ideas about kingship.The Egyptiansbelieved that long,

long ago, duringtheGolden Age before history,Osiris and his wife Isis

(who was also his sister)ruled Egypt. Osiris and Isis

had a brother named Seth,who was married to their other

sister, Nephthys. Seth was jealous of Osiris,and wanted to be king himself, so he formeda plan to murder his brother.

An Evil Brother Seth hosted a party and invited his

brother to come. During the party, hebrought out a wooden box that he had had specially designed to match Osiris’measurements. All the party guests tried outthe box, as if playing a game. When it wasOsiris’ turn, Seth watched as his brotherstepped in and lay down, and then slammedthe lid shut. With the help of his evil friends,he tossed it into the Nile.

Have AQuestion? Ask Me! CALLIOPE, 30 Grove St.,

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by Salima Ikramand Janice Kamrin

Divine KingshipDivine Kingship

Osiris

Isis

Four sonsof Horus

The box floated all the way toByblos, on the coast of modernLebanon, where it got magicallyhidden inside a tree. The tree was then cut down and used as a pillar in a palace. When Isis went looking for her husband, she found the boxinside the pillar. The princess of Byblosgave her the pillar, and Isis brought itback to Egypt so that she could buryOsiris properly.

Seth was very angry when hediscovered that Isis had found Osiris’body. He dug up the box and choppedthe body into 14 pieces, which hescattered throughout Egypt. Isis, withthe help of Nephthys, gathered all thepieces and magically put Osiris backtogether. She then brought him back to life. Osiris went down into the landof the dead and became king there.

A DivineChallenge

Isis had become pregnantafter she brought Osiris back

to life. Nine months later, she gavebirth to a baby boy, whom she named

Horus. While he was a child, shekept him hidden in the marshes of

This gracefully carved figure of Ahmose shows her pregnant with Hatshepsut. The relief adornsHatshepsut’s mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahri.

Hatshepsut as Mut

When Hatshepsut was queen, she played the role of the goddess Mut. As the wife of the king of the gods, Amun-Re, Mut was not only

the queen of the gods, but also a mother-goddess. This meant that sheprotected all females, including both humans and animals. She also helped women give birth and watched over children. In art, the Egyptiansidentified Hatshepsut with Mut by portraying her wearing a vultureheaddress. The hieroglyph for Mut, which translates as “mother,” was avulture. The connection was appropriate as vultures are very good mothersand guard their young with their lives. The figure of Mut at left shows herwearing a vulture headdress beneath the crown of Upper and Lower Egypt.

—Salima Ikram and Janice Kamrin

5

the Delta to stop his evil uncle Seth, whonow ruled Egypt, from harming him.

When Horus grew up, he decided toavenge his father’s death and seize thethrone from Seth. To do so, he challengedhis uncle to a series of contests. The two godsbattled for many years, until finally Horus

won. The council of gods awarded Horushis father’s crown and made him kingof Egypt. Seth was given control over

the desert, and became god of the areassurrounding Egypt.

When Hatshepsut became king, shebecame, like all pharaohs, Horus on earth.Her father, Thutmose I, had become Osiriswhen he died. Therefore, Hatshepsut, as hischild, was the living Horus and the rightfulheir to the throne of Egypt.

Salima Ikram, an Egyptologist, professor, and author, is presently studying the Kharga Oasis in Egypt’s WesternDesert. Janice Kamrin, an Egyptologist and author,works for the American Research Center in Egypt at theCairo Museum.

Queen Tiy � (c. 1387–c. 1340 B.C.)

Queen Tiy was the consort of 18th Dynasty pharaohAmenhotep III. A member of the Egyptian aristocracy andmarried to Amenhotep at an early age, Tiy became the Great Royal Wife. Her shrewd and capable mindwon her husband’s respect and trust. Tiy’s name appeared with Amenhotep’son official documents, and sheparticipated in state affairs andpublic ceremonies.

During this period ofprosperity and peace, a greatbuilding program was initiated,including the main portions of

the temple of Luxor in central Egypt. Tiy survived herhusband and became advisor to her son Amenhotep IV(later Akhenaten). The renowned Nefertiti was her daughter-in-law. In 1976, Tiy’s mummy was identified and laid to rest in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Egypt.

—Charles F. Baker

A list of the names and accomplishmentsof women who have contributed much toEgypt’s history would extend far beyondthe pages of this magazine. Historicalaccounts must, by necessity, focus on

those aspects considered the mostimportant and the most representative of

each decade or century. Only by cross-referencing texts, novels, and journalscan you begin to understand the rolesEgyptian women have played through

the centuries. The brief biographies of theEgyptian women highlighted in this issue

will help illustrate this fact.

6

Seth slays Osiris.

The Woman Who Would Be King

The Woman Who Would Be King

by Janice Kamrin and Salima Ikram

Listen, all you noble people, and common folk—

as many as you are—I have done these things by the device of my heart. I never slumbered as one forgetful, but have made strong what

was decayed. I have raised up what was dismembered…

7

Thutmose II and became his Great RoyalWife. She also took on the important title of God’s Wife of Amun, making her thehighest-ranking priestess in the land.Several monuments have been found thatshow Hatshepsut during this period of herlife. In these, she is shown as a traditionalqueen, wearing the vulture crown thatlinked her with the goddess Mut, wife of the great god Amun.

King, I Am!When Thutmose II died, his son by Iset,

a less important wife, became king. Hisname was also Thutmose, like his father andgrandfather, so we call him Thutmose III.Thutmose III was very young when hebecame king, so Hatshepsut, as the chiefqueen and most important royal woman,became the regent. During this period, she was still represented as a queen, muchas before, but with Thutmose III instead of Thutmose II. After only a few years,however, she began to turn herself into a pharaoh. First, she took on a “throne”name. This was a special kind of nametaken by kings when they came to thethrone. Hatshepsut’s throne name wasMaatkare. On temple walls, she began to show herself wearing royal crowns. She also called herself “King of Upper andLower Egypt,” one of the main titles of the pharaoh. She was still shown withThutmose III, but as his equal rather thanjust his queen. She continued to wear female clothing.

By the seventh year of Thutmose III’sreign, Hatshepsut had begun to show herselfnot only as a king, but as a male king.Instead of a long dress, she wore a royal kilt, leaving her chest bare. Like any other

8

Khgnemet-Amun-Hatshepsut shall be the name of this mydaughter… . My soul is hers…my crown is hers, that she may rule the Two Lands.

—Mandate of the mighty god Amun, inscribed on the walls of Hatshepsut’s

funerary temple at Deir el-Bahri

HATSHEPSUT

HATSHEPSUTis one of the best-known kings in Egyptianhistory. This is mostly because she was afemale pharaoh, one of only a few womento claim this title. But it is also because sheruled for many years and built manybeautiful monuments that have surviveduntil today.

When she was a young woman,Hatshepsut married her half-brother

Hatshepsut wears the Jubilee, or Heb Sed, robes. A royal festival, Heb Sed honored the continued reignof a pharaoh and was celebrated after ruling for 30 years, and then every three years after. Hatshepsut,however, celebrated her Jubilee in her 15th ruling year.

As soon as he was old enough, he took careof military affairs, while she focused ondomestic matters. Their joint reign madeEgypt prosperous and strong.

pharaoh, she wore a bull’stail made of gold and semi-

precious stones, and carried the royalcrook and flail, symbols of kingship (see also page 10). In inscriptions, she sometimesused male instead of female pronouns.

Daughter of a GodProclaiming herself pharaoh was very

unusual, and Hatshepsut needed to prove tothe people of Egypt that this was the rightthing to do. Kings were supposed to be thechildren of Amun-Re, king of the gods. SoHatshepsut told the story of her divine birthon the walls of her memorial temple at Deirel-Bahri. According to this tale, Amun-Recame to her mother, Ahmose, disguised asThutmose I. The god and the queen spent a night together, and Ahmose becamepregnant. The child was Hatshepsut.

Hatshepsut ruled for more than 20 years.She was a very active and energetic ruler.She built many temples to the gods, both inEgypt and in Nubia, and restored templesbuilt by earlier kings that had fallen intodisrepair. She had a pair of granite obelisks,stone pillars with small pyramids covered in gold on top, carved to honor Amun-Re.

Modern scholars believe that Hatshepsutand Thutmose III were an excellent team.

9

What’s in a Beard?

In ancient Egypt, statues of kings and gods had specialfeatures, such as the cobra on the forehead (see page 10),

the headdress known as the nemes (at right), and thefalse beard. Royal statues usually have a plain beardwith a straight or squarish end, sometimes decoratedwith horizontal lines. A shorter type of royal beard isfound in paintings that include high-ranking officials.

The god’s beard, known as the “divine” type, is usually braided, and has a curved end. This curved-type beard is also found on statues of dead kings, as a symbol of their deification.

—Ramadan B. Hussein

Ahmose,Hatshepsut’smother,wearing a vultureheaddress

by Charles F. Baker

Uraeus —The uraeus was worn on royal crowns andheaddresses. It was in theshape of a cobra, the formassociated with Wadjet, thegoddess of Lower Egypt. It was

always positioned in the middleof the crown, just above

the pharaoh’s brow andwas designed to be

rearing up. Thecobra’s hood was

extended as if towarn enemies to beware thepower of the king. While a queen’suraeus usuallyincluded only

a cobra, a king’sbrow was also

adorned with the headof the vulture goddess

Nekhbet of Upper Egypt.

Hekat (Crook) —The hekat representedthe pharaoh and his responsibility to protectand guard the people of the Nile Riverregion, the way a good shepherd guards his flock.

Flail —The flailrepresented the power of theEgyptian pharaohs.Sculptors usuallyfashioned statuesof deceasedpharaohs holdingthe crook and flail.

Osiris, theEgyptian

god of thedead withwhom the deadking was identified, always appeared in artholding both.

Hedjet —The hedjet was thetall white crown that represented

Upper Egypt. Sometimes, it was calledthe wereret, meaning “Great Crown.”

Deshret —The deshret was the red basketcrown that represented Lower Egypt.

Sekhemty —The sekhemty was the doublecrown that represented Upper and LowerEgypt. To form it, thehedjet was placedinside thedeshret.

Symbols have played, and do play, an important role inhistory. Leaders use them to represent power and beliefs.

So, too, do nations. Some symbols are short-lived, falling outof use when the person or country that relies on them loses

power. Others outlive their designers and authors. Thesymbols used by the ancient Egyptian rulers to represent

their power and relationships with the gods are among thefew that have endured for more than 3,000 years.

Symbols ofSymbols of

10

Uraeus

Sekhemty

Deshret

Hedjet

Atef

HekatFlail

Khepresh —The khepresh wasthe war helmet usedby the pharaohs.

Atef —The atef wasthe ram’s horn crown. A pharaoh wore this, themost decorative crown, at his coronation

and on other solemn occasions.Usually, the atef was acombination of the hedjet anduraeus, with the addition of two feathers and ram’s horns.

Sma-tawy —This design showedthe papyrus plant and a lotus (a type ofwater lily) entwined. Found on thrones,royal boats, and palace and temple walls, it represented the unification of Upper andLower Egypt. At the coronation ceremony, a stake with the sma-tawy twisted around it was driven into theground in front of the buildingwhere thenewpharaohhonoredthe deitiesof Lowerand UpperEgypt.

Serekh —Theserekh was a designrepresenting the façadeof a palace and associated with the Horusfalcon and the Horus name, or title, used by the king.

CoronationRituals

The heir to the throne was usually apharaoh’s eldest son by his Great RoyalWife. His actual coronation, however,did not take place until the deadpharaoh had been buried properly.

The process required that the body be specially treated to prevent decay,

a process that took approximately 70 days.The prepared body, or mummy, was thenlaid to rest in the pharaoh’s royal tomb,which had been decorated inside withreligious texts to ensure his continued life in the underworld. Tradition required thateach pharaoh attend the burial rites of his predecessor.

The coronation always took place duringa national festival that represented hope forthe future. The ceremonies were elaborateand lasted several days. It was at thesecelebrations that a new pharaoh formallyreceived the symbols of Egypt. Variouscrowns were place on his head to symbolizehis responsibilities and powers. His namewas written in hieroglyphs, within a

cartouche or oval. With the crook and flail in hand, the new ruler was led in a

procession around the walls of thecapital city. His name wasinscribed onthe Egyptiansacred tree oflife. According to

Egyptian belief, thedeities inscribed each new

pharaoh’s name on the leaves of this tree.

Charles F. Baker is the co-editor of CALLIOPE.

Have A

Question? Ask Me!

CALLIOPE, 30 Grove St.,

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PowerPower

11

Atef

Serekh

Khepresh

by Noreen Doyle

Some historians believe that, as a woman, Hatshepsut had no interest in military matters. She preferred,

they say, to boast about her peacefulachievements, such as moving enormousobelisks or dispatching a trading expeditiondown the Red Sea coast to the exotic land ofPunt. Yet, the fragments of an inscriptionfrom Hatshepsut’s funerary temple at Deirel-Bahri indicate that the Egyptian armydefeated Nubian rebels during her reign.The text records a “slaughter” of uncountednumbers of the enemy. In anotherinscription, found near the border betweenEgypt and Nubia, Chief Treasurer Ti claimsto have witnessed the king herself defeatingNubians and destroying their lands.

Propaganda?Whether these inscriptions are accurate or

just propaganda to exaggerate Hatshepsut’smilitary talent, we will probably neverknow. What is certain is that Hatshepsut,like any other pharaoh, officially served as Egypt’s supreme military commander,heading a complex bureaucracy that rangedfrom the commander-in-chief and generalsdown to army scribes and infantrymen. In practice, of course, the king could notpersonally control everything. WhenHatshepsut’s stepson Thutmose was oldenough, she appointed him commander-in-chief of her army.

Most of her soldiers came from towns and villages, recruited or drafted to becomelow-ranking infantrymen. Mercenaries also

12

EGYPT on the March

made up an important part of the Egyptianmilitary, particularly Nubian warriors, who were especially prized for their skill as archers. As in a modern army, officersdrilled and disciplined their troops atmilitary camps. Each soldier received hispay in the form of bread, beer, and otherfood. Soldiers could also receive rewards of land, livestock, slaves, and other goods,especially upon retirement.

Deadly WeaponsAlthough infantrymen made up the bulk

of the army, during the New Kingdom the

key component of the Egyptian militarymachine was the chariot. Pulled by a pair of horses, each agile, two-wheeled vehicleserved as a mobile archery platform. Thecharioteers formed an elite branch of themilitary, and their equipment and horseswere expensive to maintain in properfighting condition.

Although Egyptians had been huntingand fighting with the bow and arrow since before recorded history, by the timeHatshepsut came to the throne, bowmakershad introduced improvements to theseweapons. Using techniques first developed in western Asia, they began to make bowsby gluing together layers of wood, horn, and sinew. With a range of up to 600 feet,

“Let’s go!” the five men urgeeach other. Hatshepsut’s soldiers marchalong with battle axes and standards of their army units.

13

The Hardships of a Soldier

To the dismay of their teachers, some boys and young men found the life of a soldier attractive.In the Papyrus Lansing, written more than 300 years after Hatshepsut’s lifetime, a scribe

warned his pupil why he should not abandon school to join the army:

A soldier had many superiors, who could wake him at any hour of the day or night, treat him as adonkey, and allow him no rest. The soldier was always hungry, because he was never given enough to eat, and the water he drank was salty and stank. The enemy surrounded him, and his body wasweak from illness. After the battle, the spoils went to the king, while the soldier had to march homeagain with his knapsack on his back. But he would drop the sack because a captive woman wouldfaint and he had to carry her instead. If he deserted the army, his family would be imprisoned. And, if a soldier died on the march, he was left behind in the desert, where no one would remember him.

—Noreen Doyle

a composite bow could shoot farther thanone made only of wood, and it could rainheavier arrows down upon the enemy.

Another weapon, the battle-ax, hadbecome longer and narrower, capable of

delivering an even deadlier blow. Daggerswere now longer and sword-like. One

type, known as a khepesh, was similar inshape to the sickle. It had a cutting edge onthe inside of its curved blade, which made itan excellent slashing weapon. The halberd,a long pole with a blade, was also good forslashing and kept the enemy at a greaterdistance. The Egyptian army also continued to use one of humanity’s most ancientweapons, the spear. For defense, in additionto shields, some 18th Dynasty soldiers worearmor made of metal disks sewn ontoleather shirts. Egyptian troops secured theircountry’s borders and put down rebellionsamong the local populations in conqueredterritories.

When Duty CallsAs the source of precious commodities

and as trading partners, both Nubia and the Middle East played vital roles in Egypt’seconomic well-being. Fortresses occupied by Egyptian soldiers safeguarded these traderoutes and kept military headquartersinformed of all activity, including even the number of nomads who passed by.

“Death to enemies of Egypt!”yells the pharaoh in his war helmet as he pulls his bow. The lion-headed Maaheswas honored as the god of war.

Calliope says: A third century B.C.

Egyptian priest and historian named

Manetho compiled a list of Egypt’s kings,

starting with Menes as the first historical king

around 3100 B.C. As the last Egyptian king to

rule in ancient times, he listed Nectanebo II,

whose reign ended in 342 B.C. Manetho

divided the kings into 30 family groupings,

now called dynasties. Historians later divided

the dynasties into time periods:

Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, and New

Kingdom. The years between these periods

are referred to as the First, Second, and Third

Intermediate periods. While Egyptologists do

not agree on the exact dates for each period,

the divisions are accepted universally.

Egypt was made to work withbowed head for her, the excellent

seed of the god, who came forth from him.

—Inscription recording the ascension ofHatshepsut and Thutmose III to the throne ofEgypt, found in the tomb of the official Ineni

HATSHEPSUT

14

EGYPT

SYRIACYPRUS

EGYPT

GREECE

LIBYA

Mediterranean Sea

Black Sea

ABYDOS •VALLEY OF THE KINGS •

ABU SIMBEL •

• DEIR EL-BAHRI

• ASWAN

• (CAIRO)

NILE DELTA

• KADESH

MEMPHIS •

• KARNAK (LUXOR)

• THEBES

Nile River

Red Sea

NUBIA(SUDAN)

EUROPE

ASIA

LEGEND

• ANCIENT SITE (MODERN SITE)

COUNTRY

• ANCIENT CITY (MODERN CITY)

Sea or OceanRiver

ISLAND

AREA

CONTINENT

VALLEY

OF

THE QUEE

NS •

PUNT

LOWEREGYPT

UPPEREGYPT

N

W E

SAFRICA

Almost as soon as Thutmose becameking, Egypt’s rival, the kingdom of Mitanni,incited a revolt among cities in the MiddleEast. The siege of the city of Megiddo, led by Thutmose himself, lasted seven months.Even after the Egyptians won, Thutmosespent about another 20 years waging war inthe region, establishing an Egyptian empireand later earning the modern nickname“the Napoleon of ancient Egypt.”

However, not every military campaignwas part of a war. When the time came to transport Hatshepsut’s colossal obelisks from the quarry at Aswan to the temple atKarnak, the army supplied the labor. And,when she dispatched a trade expedition by sea to the land of Punt, miles away onthe Red Sea coast, she sent the army.

Noreen Doyle has degrees in anthropology, art history,nautical archaeology, and Egyptology. She lives in Maine,where she works as a writer and editor.

by Angela Murock Hussein

Without a doubt, Senmut was aclose friend and confidante of Hatshepsut—and he even

may have been more. From a humblebackground, he nevertheless held some of the most prestigious positions in Egypt.In fact, Senmut is one of the mostimportant individuals we can identifyfrom the reign of Hatshepsut.

Most likely from the town of Armant in the south of Egypt, he was the son of Ramose and Hatnefer. His parents do not seem to have been involved ingovernment or to have held any specialtitles. Life became more difficult for thefamily after Ramose died young, leaving

his wife, Senmut, and at leastsix other children. Hatnefer,however, lived to see her sonachieve wealth and power in the royal court.

We do not know exactlyhow Senmut came to serve in the palace.The first evidence of his working for the royal family dates to the reign ofThutmose II, when he was made tutor to Princess Neferure, daughter of the kingand his queen, Hatshepsut. Senmut was

extremely proud of this prestigioustitle and commissioned manystatues of himself holding the child.

19

Foremanof the Foremen

Cradled in Senmut’s arms is Neferure, holding a royalscepter in her hands. Notethe traditional children’shairstyle, a sidelock on theright side of her head.

Confidant of the QueenSenmut next became Great Steward to

Hatshepsut herself, managing the affairsand household staff. Senmut was theperson charged with carrying out herorders. At the time, she was still queenunder Thutmose II.

When Hatshepsut became pharaoh,Senmut became her closest advisor andwas granted many honors and titles. His most important was that of the GreatSteward of Amun, the overseer of thetemple of the god at Karnak. He also wascharged with supervising many significantbuilding projects. It was Senmut whooversaw the transport of the two graniteobelisks for the Temple of Amun, theopening of stone quarries south of Thebesfor building stone, and the construction of the Temple of Mut (Amun’s wife) atKarnak. His most celebrated commission,however, was his supervision ofHatshepsut’s mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahri (see pages 24–27), for which hemay have been the architect.

Hatshepsut was so pleased with hishandling of these projects that sheallowed him to place small images ofhimself on the walls behind doorwaysin her mortuary temple, the temple ofMut, and presumably other shrines.Such an honor usually was reservedfor members of the royal family.Therefore, for Senmut to be worthyof this type of favor was significant.He was also allowed to place statuesof himself in temples, a privilege thatalso required royal permission. Theseimages show him in many differentguises, representing his many jobs.We have statues of him in his positionas surveyor and architect, the tutor ofNeferure, and the presenter of the nameof Hatshepsut, a scene that representedhis role of carrying out her wishes.

20

Below: Is thisSenmut? Perhaps!The image wasfound carved on apiece of discardedlimestone near histomb complex.

Opposite: A carvedhead of Hatshepsut.

Hatsh

Sen

An Impossible LoveClose to Hatshepsut in life, he was near

to her in death as well. The queen grantedSenmut permission to construct his tombcomplex next to her mortuary temple.This complex included a tomb forSenmut, as well as smaller tombs for his many family members, includingHatnefer and Ramose, whose remainswere moved from an older tomb inArmant. Senmut does not, however,appear to have had a wife or children of his own.

Some scholars believe that Senmut was more to Hatshepsut than a stewardand assistant, that the two may havebeen in love. It is true that he wasawarded honors usually reserved for royalindividuals and evidently was especiallyfavored by her above all the otherofficials. In addition, Senmut nevermarried, and Hatshepsut never remarriedafter the death of Thutmose II. The twocertainly worked as partners throughouther reign and were so close that rumors of their romance apparently circulatedwhile Hatshepsut was pharaoh. InSenmut’s tomb complex at Deir el-Bahri,the builders left behind graffiti carved

into the rock that showed Senmut andHatshepsut together, implying that the workmen knew that they were a couple. Yet, in ancient Egyptiansociety, it would have beenimpossible for a commoner such as Senmut to marry Hatshepsut, a queen and mother of the daughterof a king. Any relationship betweenthem would have had to remainprivate.

Angela Murock Hussein is an archaeologist whohas worked on digs in Israel, Italy, Greece, and

Egypt. She lives in Providence, Rhode Island, with herhusband and son.

21

hepsut+nmut

WORD ORIGINS

PATRIARCH Ever heard of“patriarch”? How about the phrase

“patriarch of the family”? By definition,the word describes the father, ruler, or founder of a family, tribe, religion,business, or the like—quite appropriate

if we dissect “patriarch.” It is actually a combination of the Latin noun pater

(“father”) and the Greek verb archein (“to rule”).

MONARCH A simple word,“monarch” is one of the first

words we learn in historyclass. It refers to the sole ruler of a country, a person who usuallyhas inherited the

position from a mother orfather. And, this

definition exactlyreflects its two Greekroots: monos

(“alone”) andarchein(“to rule”).

WORD STORIESDESPOT Here’s a word whosemeaning has changed considerably over the centuries. The ancient Greeks used theirterm despotes to refer to those in charge of a household and to husbands. In time,however, the word was used to refer to rulers who acted like tyrants, masters whoruled with unlimited power, caring only for themselves and their concerns andhaving little regard forthe people theygoverned.

SOVEREIGN We all know that theword “reign” means “royal power orauthority.” So why precede it with the letters “sove”? Perhaps the answer is justsimply to make the word even more regal.Let’s dig a bit deeper into the history of“sovereign.” The syllable “reign” traces its roots to the Latin verb regere, meaning “to rule.” The letters “sove” are actually anadaptation of the Latin preposition super,meaning “above” and “over.” Next time,you want a word that means “above orsuperior to all others,” why not use“sovereign”?

FUNWITHWORDS

illustrated by Tom Lopes

by Kimberly Reishus

22

EGYPTIAN COLORS MEANING

desher red

kem black

khenet (or kenet) yellow

khesbedj blue

khedj white

sab variegated (a variety of different colors together)

wadj green

EGYPTIAN GEOGRAPHICAL TERMS MEANING

Deshret Egypt, the Red Land (desert area)

Hwt-ka-Ptah House of the Ka (spiritual essence or soul) of Ptah—that is, the land of Egypt

Khemet or Kmt Egypt, the Black Land (fertile Nile riverbanks)

Ta-Seti Nubia (present-day Sudan)

Ta-Meht Lower Egypt

Ta-Resu Upper Egypt

Uat-ur Mediterranean Sea (literal translation: “the Great Green”)

LET’S LEARN EGYPTIAN!Here are a few words—not written in hieroglyphs, but in our alphabet according to howEgyptologists think they were pronounced:

23

ValuesValues

In family groups depicted on tomb walls or in statuary, wives have an arm around their husbands’ waists or

shoulders and children cling to the staffstheir fathers are shown holding. Clearly,there was great affection between thegenerations. But children were also expectedto respect their fathers, be kind to theirmothers, and love their siblings.

Women’s Rights

The status of women was freer in ancientEgypt than in many parts of the worldtoday. They could inherit, own, and pass on property. There was no segregation of the sexes, and, at dinner parties, men andwomen intermingled. Even so, well-to-doladies mostly stayed at home and supervisedthe chores of their servants. This may helpexplain why women are depicted withyellow flesh. In contrast, men workedprimarily outside the home and got deeply sunburned in theprocess, which is why they areshown with red or red-brown skin.

Among the social gracesmastered by upper-class womenwere dancing, singing, andplaying the harp, either for theirparents and husbands or for theking himself. They also served

as priestesses of the mother goddess Hathorand the creator goddess Neith. Sometimesthey filled the same role as priestesses in the funerary cults of fathers or husbands.

Some working-class women laboredbeside their men in the fields or at weaving,baking, and brewing; others were domesticservants in upper-class homes. Sometimesthey acted in a supervisory capacity.

Education Counts!

Reading, writing, and arithmetic wereimportant in ancient Egypt and most likelyformed the route to advancement for manyambitious young men. Boys with a father orrelative in an official position probably hadan advantage, since most trades and craftswere learned by means of an apprenticeshipsystem. Female physicians, even chiefphysicians, are known to have existed, andthey, too, must have been able to read andwrite in order to use the medical texts.

Edward Brovarski is an adjunct professor in Egyptianarchaeology at Brown University.

Harp player carved into the wall of Hatshepsut’s chapel

“Let’s hunt!” And the tall figure ofthe deceased in this tomb painting

prepares to hunt birds. His wife and sonaccompany him, and the family cat has

already caught three birds.34

When Hatshepsut was stilla queen, she started building atomb for herself in a place called

Wadi Gabbanat el-Qurud, or Valley of theMonkeys. This is located on the west bank of modern Luxor, not far from the Valley ofthe Kings. The tomb was carved into thelimestone mountains, and archaeologistsfound a beautiful sarcophagus made ofyellowish-red stone inside it. Hatshepsut,however, was not buried here.

As soon as Hatshepsut became pharaoh,she abandoned this tomb and starteddigging a new one for herself in the Valley of the Kings. Many Egyptologists think that this was the very first tomb in theValley of the Kings. It is now called KV 20(KV stands for King’s Valley).

‘C’-ShapedKV 20 was cut deeply into the side of

the Valley and actually looks like a long,narrow “C.” There are almost 650 feet ofpassageways and stairways that lead to anoval room. A short corridor connects thisroom to a rectangular chamber and threesmaller rooms. Two wonderfully decoratedstone sarcophagi were discovered inside therectangular room. One was carved with the name of Hatshepsut; the other with the name of her father, Thutmose I.

We do not know where Thutmose I wasoriginally buried. We think that Hatshepsuttook his mummy from his own tomb and

Hatshepsut’s mummy,displayed in Cairo,June 2007

by Salima Ikram and Janice Kamrin

35

moved it to hers. She did this so that shecould be buried beside her father, whom she loved very much.

KV 20 was only one part of Hatshepsut’stomb. The other part was her memorial, or mortuary, temple, also known as “Templeof Millions of Years.” This was built in a bay of cliffs and is now called Deir el-Bahri.Today it takes 20 minutes to drive from theValley of the Kings to Deir el-Bahri, but thetomb and its temple are actually back-to-back. If you dug a tunnel from the end of KV 20 to the temple, the tunnel would beonly 820 feet long!

Mysterious PackageNeither the mummy of Hatshepsut nor

the mummy of her father was found in the tomb. In fact, only two royal mummies

from the 18th Dynasty were discovered in their tombs—Amenhotep II’s andTutankhamun’s. Most of the other royalmummies have been found in what arecalled caches, places where valuables can be hidden. In the 21st Dynasty—about 300years after Hatshepsut—priests had movedthe mummies from their own tombs to thecaches to protect them from tomb robbers.

But Hatshepsut and Thutmose I were not in any of the royal caches either. Manyscholars thought that a mummy in thelargest cache, which was tucked away in thehills not far from Hatshepsut’s temple, wasThutmose I, but analysis showed it was tooyoung to be Hatshepsut’s father. Also, themummy did not have his arms crossed overhis chest, which is how kings were buried at this time. The only trace of Hatshepsut in either of the caches was a small woodenbox with her name on it. Inside was amysterious package. It was too big for the

box and had beenwrapped in linen andcovered with blackoils and resins.

In 1903, HowardCarter (who laterdiscovered the tombof Tutankhamun)found a small tombnot far from KV 20.He called this KV 60.Inside the burialchamber were twomummies. One wasin a wooden coffin;the other was lying on the floor. Themummy in the coffinwas a short womanwith long hair andone arm crossed overher chest. Carved into

36

Which is which? Close inspection of the twomummies has led Zahi Hawass (standing) to identify themummy directly in front of him as that of Hatshepsut.

the coffin was the word In,the name of Hatshepsut’snanny. The other mummywas a very fat woman,who also had one armcrossed over her chest.

The Answer in a Tooth

No one paid muchattention to thesemummies until, yearslater, an Egyptologistnamed Elizabeth Thomassuggested that the fat lady might be Hatshepsut.She thought that KV 60was the tomb ofHatshepsut’s nanny andthat 21st Dynasty priestshad moved Hatshepsut’smummy there forsafekeeping. Other scholarsargued that perhaps thesmaller mummy wasHatshepsut, and the fatone was the nanny.

In 2007, Zahi Hawass,the director of the SupremeCouncil of Antiquities in Egypt, decided to tryand solve the mystery ofHatshepsut’s missing mummy. Using a CT scanner, a machine that takes thousandsof pictures similar to X-rays but with moredetail, he made a photographic record of the two mummies from KV 60, as well astwo other unidentified female mummiesfrom the royal caches. He also scanned the wooden box with the mysteriouspackage inside.

The results were astonishing. Inside thewooden box, along with other body parts,was a tooth. Study of the mummy of the fat

lady had shown she was missinga tooth. When the tooth in thewooden box was put into the hole insidethe mouth of the fat lady, it was a perfectfit! The fat lady was indeed Hatshepsut,and the mystery was solved.

Check out the X-rayof Hatshepsut’s mummy’s jaw.Now just imagine Zahi Hawassputting the tooth from the boxinto the hole!

Have A

Question? Ask Me!

CALLIOPE, 30 Grove St.,

Peterborough, NH 03458

or e-mail:

askcalliope@caruspub.com

37

UEENS

THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS BELIEVED

THAT THERE MUST ALWAYS BE A KING

ON THE THRONE OF EGYPT. IDEALLY,

THIS KING WOULD BE THE SON OF THE

PREVIOUS, NOW-DEAD, KING. BUT,IF THERE WAS NO SON AVAILABLE,IT WAS ACCEPTABLE FOR A WOMAN

TO RULE. AT LEAST SIX QUEENS RULED

EGYPT AS “FEMALE PHARAOHS.”

THE EARLIEST OF THESE QUEENS

ARE MYSTERIOUS, SHADOWY

FIGURES, AND WE KNOW

LITTLE ABOUT THEM.

THE LATER ONES

LIVED IN MORE

LITERATE TIMES, SO WE

UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT

THEIR REIGNS.

MeritneithQueen Meritneith, who

reigned some time between2920 and 2770 B.C., was buried

in a huge mud-brick tomb in the royal cemetery of Abydos,

in southern Egypt. Thefirst Egyptologists to

investigate the sitethought that she

was a male king, but it is now understood that

“Meritneith” is a female name.Egyptologists believe that she wasthe daughter of King Djer and thewife of King Djet. Following herhusband’s early death, Meritneithruled Egypt temporarily on behalfof her infant son, Den.

NitocrisLegend tells us that near the end of the

Old Kingdom (around 2152 B.C.), Egypt wasruled by the beautiful and brave Nitocris.Nitocris had succeeded her murderedbrother on the throne and was determinedto avenge his death. After drowning hismurderers in a specially constructedunderground chamber, she committedsuicide. However, there is no archaeologicalevidence to support this story, and it isprobably not true.

SobeknofruThere is, however, good archaeological

evidence that says Queen Sobeknofru,daughter of King Amenemhat III, ruledEgypt for three years, ten months, andtwenty-four days at the end of the MiddleKingdom, around 1787–1783 B.C. We havethree headless statues of the queen andsome of her personal possessions, but herpyramid tomb has not yet been discovered.

RULE

The royal necropolis at Abydos. Egyptians once thoughtit the burial place of Osiris and brought offerings. Today,the area is covered with shards, broken pieces of pottery.

39

TawosretWe know far more about Queen

Tawosret, who ruled Egypt duringthe latter part of the New Kingdom,around 1198–1196 B.C. The wife ofKing Seti II, she was the stepmotherof his son Siptah, who had inheritedhis father’s throne as a young boy.Siptah’s mummy has a twisted leg,suggesting that he suffered fromcerebral palsy. Queen Tawosrethelped her young stepson to ruleand was supported by an importantpolitician, the “Chancellor of the WholeLand, Bay.” For four years, Bay was thedominant figure in Egyptian politics. A simple brief note in an official documentrecords his execution on unknown charges.

Siptah died in his early 20s. With nochildren to succeed him, Tawosret become

the female king: “Daughter ofRe, Lady of Ta-merit, Tawosretchosen of Mut.” This was not a good time to rule Egypt,however. The empire wasshrinking and suffered from bothhigh inflation and occasionalfood shortages. In addition,along Egypt’s western border,Libyan tribes were threateningthe security of the Nile Delta.Tawosret ruled Egypt for just two years. Her only substantialmonuments are an unfinishedmortuary temple and a tomb in the Valley of the Kings.

Cleopatra VIIAncient Egypt’s last ruling

queen, Cleopatra VII, came tothe throne in 51 B.C., sharingpower with her brother,Ptolemy XIII. Ptolemy wasunhappy with this situation

and plotted to have his sister killed. Warnedin time, Cleopatra raised an army. By thesummer of 48 B.C., the forces loyal to

Ptolemy and Cleopatra were preparing to fight eachother in the Nile Deltawhen the Roman generalJulius Caesar intervened.After summoning the two to Alexandria, Caesardeclared his support for Cleopatra. Angered,the people of Alexandria rebelled, andCleopatra and Caesar spent the wintertrapped in the city. Roman reinforcementsdid not arrive until March 47 B.C. After thecity was liberated, Ptolemy XIII fled anddrowned in the Nile. Cleopatra was restoredto her throne with Roman support, taking asher husband and co-ruler her 11-year-oldbrother Ptolemy XIV.

When Ptolemy XIV died in 44 B.C.,Cleopatra’s three-year-old son, PtolemyCaesar (also known as Caesarion), became king Ptolemy XV, but Cleopatra VIIremained the effective sole ruler of Egypt.Cleopatra now allied herself with theRoman Mark Antony. Together, theyplanned an empire to rival the growingmight of Rome. But their loss to the Romansunder Octavian at the Battle of Actium in 31 B.C. dashed their plans. In August of the following year, Cleopatra committedsuicide in Alexandria.

Tawosret shakes thesistrum (see backcover) in a relief carvedinto the walls of atemple in Nubia, to thesouth of ancient Egypt.

40

Right: Goddess Isis, crownedwith cow’s horns and the

solar disk topped with thesymbol for throne.

“Use them well,” counsels thefalcon-headed god Horus,

as he gives pharaoh thesymbols of royal power

(see pages 10–11).

AC

TIVITY

AC

TIVITY

41

Next time you eat chicken, save the leg and thigh bones (theywill be the mummy fingers).

Wash them thoroughly in soapand water and let them dry for

a few days. While they dry, sculpta palm and wrist, like the oneabove, out of modeling clay.

Attach the fingers to the palm with more modeling clay.Tear the fabric into strips about

1@“ wide. Dip the strips into a mixture of equal parts white

glue and water, then completelywrap your mummy hand. Allow it to dry thoroughly.

Now make your hand lookmoldy and old, as if it camefrom the body of an ancientmummy. First paint it light

brown, then use an oldtoothbrush to spatter it

with several different colors of paint.

Here’s your chanceto feel like an ancient

embalmer and freakout your friends at thesame time. Your mummy hand

won’t be just a scary sculpture, but will make a great paperweight,doorstop, or even a back scratcher!

YOU NEED:

chicken bones

modeling clay

white glue

white fabric

paint

an old toothbrush

The next time someone asks you to lend them a hand, you’ll be ready!

Make Your Own

MUMMY HANDMake Your Own

MUMMY HAND

by Ken Feisel

What’s a midden?—Elizabeth, Web post

The term “midden” is actually ashortened form of the phrase “kitchen

midden,” which is actually aderivative of the Danish wordkokkenmodding, meaning “a pile

of muck.” By definition, a middenis a heap of shell, pottery, tool,

Can you tell me what portolanmaps are?

—Amelia, Web post

Portolan charts were first drawnin the late 1200s as mariner

charts and were in use at the time ofChristopher Columbus’ voyages. Theyoffered a realistic picture of the landsand navigational hazards sailors wouldencounter in coastal waters. The term portolantraces its origin to the Italian word portolani,which originally referred to books of writtenlists or tables of sailing directions andinformation.

I love CALLIOPE’s “Fun WithWords”! Can you tell me the

origin of the word “monk”?—Chris, Web post

Sure! The word “monk” is a religiousterm and comes from the Greek

adjective monos, meaning “alone.”Monks, especially in centuries past, often spent solitary livesseeking to know more aboutthe meaning of life, theuniverse, and the creator of theuniverse in places away from the temptations and distractions of human society.

ASK

Callio

pe

30 G

rove St., P

eterbo

rou

gh

, NH

03458

or ask

calliop

e@caru

spu

b.co

m

AskCallIopEillustrated by Heidi Graf

??

46

and ash waste material that was used and thendiscarded by food gatherers, especially thosewho lived in prehistoric times. In other words,a midden is a pile of garbage, and that isexactly why it is so important.

Are there really “talkingdrums”?

—Quincy, 10, Web post

Yes! For an example, let’s travel to West Africa, and the land of the Yoruba

people. Long ago, when they wanted to sendmessages from village to village, they created a drum that imitated their intricate tonallanguage. The drum seemed to “talk.” Becauseit is narrow in the middle, it is often called anhourglass drum. Skilled Yoruba woodcarverstransform tree trunks into these hollow drumswith bowl-shaped ends and slender waists thatvary in length from one foot to two or morefeet. The drums’ heads are made of goatskinand are beaten with a curved stick. To makethe drum “talk,” a drummer squeezes therawhide lacings with his left arm to tighten thedrumheads, which, in turn, raises the tone.

From OurReaders

ANCIENTEGYPT

Egypt, with fabulous Pharaohsflamboyantly flaunting

Pompous Pyramids proudly protruding,

Shriveled Mummies abruptly disturbed,

Voiceless Sphinx.

Monotheist Akhenaten attempting change,

Notable Tutankhamun pricelessly prized,

Despairing Desert desolately depleted,

Generous Nile.

—KATHERINE KERSWELL

FAIRLAWN, NEW JERSEY

EDITOR: We’re sure Akhenaten, and his

wife Nefertiti, would have enjoyed this

poem. And, Katherine, great job with the

alliteration!

EDITOR: Look here each monthfor submissions from our readers.And, the Muse Calliope looksforward to receiving yours soon!

47