DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.41333#0107
Dariusz Niedziolka
Warsaw
Were Queen Hatshepsut’s Eastern Obelisks at Karnak Erected Twice?
(Plates 24-27)
It is commonly assumed that the eastern obelisks
of Queen Hatshepsut at Karnak were executed un-
der Senenmut’s supervision and then erected at the
beginning of her reign as a King, most probably on
the occasion of her enthronement.1 It is also well
known, that in the foundations of the southern ob-
elisk of the pair, blocks decorated with the names of
Thutmose H and Thutmose HI were reused.2 Recently,
blocks decorated with names of Hatshepsut herself
were discovered in the foundations of these obelisks.3
Since it was impossible to insert these blocks while
the monoliths stood on their bases, one might reject
such an early date for the erection of these obelisks
1 See D. NIEDZIOLKA, Some Remarks on the Graffito of
Senenmut at Aswan, in: J. POPIELSKA-GRZYBOWSKA
(ed. ). Proceedings of the First Central European Confe-
rence of Young Egyptologists. Egypt 1999: Perspectives
of Research. Warsaw 7-9 June 1999, Swiatowit Supple-
ment Series E: Egyptology, vol. I. WES, vol. Ill, Warsaw
2001 (hereinafter referred to as: Graffito of Senenmut), pp.
100-104, with an older bibliography concerning this issue.
2 See A. VARILLE, Description sommaire du sanctuaire ori-
ental d’ Amon-Re a Karnak, ASAE 50 (1950), p. 140 and pi. V.
3 Regarding unpublished blocks of Hatshepsut, see D. LA-
BOURY, L’evolution des relations politiques entre Thout-
mosis III et Hatshepsout a travers l'analyse de leur pro-
grammes architecturaux dans la region thebaine, Revue
des historiens de l 'art, des archeologues, des musicolo-
gues et des orientalistes de TUniversite de Liege 14 (1995),
Pp. 9 and 17 note 26.
4 L. GABOLDE, A propos de deux obelisques de Thoutmosis
II, dedies a son pere Thoutmosis I et eriges sous le regne
d'Hatshepsout-pharaon a l'ouest du IVe pylone, Cahiers de
Karnak VIII, Paris 1987 (hereinafter referred to as: Deux
obelisques de Thoutmosis II), pp. 143-158.
5 PM n2, p. 218; see also NIEDZIOLKA, Pyramidiaof Queen
Hatshepsut's Eastern Obelisks at Karnak and their Attri-
bution to Particular Bases, GM 175 (2000), pp. 39-58 and
bibliography therein, p. 40 footnote 3.
6 PM IF, pp. 81-83; see also W.C. HAYES, Internal Affairs from
Tuthmosis I to the Death of Amenophis III. Part 1, CAHII,
Cambridge 1962 (hereinafter referred to as: CAH), pp. 21-22;
W. WESTENDORF, Altdgyptische Darstellungen des
Sonnenlaufes aufder abschiissigen Himmelsbahn, MAS 10,
Berlin 1966,p. 15; G. BJORKMAN, Kings at Kamak. A Study
of the Treatment of the Monuments of Royal Predecessors in
the Early New Kingdom, Uppsala 1971 (hereinafter referred
in this case at least, if not of their execution.
It is well known that Hatshepsut erected three
pairs of obelisks in the precinct of Amon-Re at
Karnak: they were the monoliths erected in the fes-
tival court of Thutmose II in front of the IVth pylon
of the temple,4 those which once stood in the east-
ern part of the precinct,5 and the obelisks introduced
by the Queen into the hall between the IVth and the
Vth pylons of the temple.6 The most famous pair in
the wadjit hall was executed in the 16th regnal year
of Thutmose III, as Hatshepsut’s inscription at the
base of the still standing northern monolith of the
pak attests:7
to as: Kings at Kamak), pp. 66-67, 74-75; W. SEIPEL, Hat-
schepsut I., LA II, col. 1046; K. MARTIN, Lin Garantsymbol
des Lebens. Untersuchung zu Ursprung und Geschichte der
altdgyptischen Obelisken bis zum Ende des Neuen Reiches,
HAB 3, Hildesheim 1977 (hereinafter referred to as:
Garantsymbol).\)\~). 137-147;L. HABACHI, Obelisks of Egypt.
Skyscrapers of the Past, New York 1977 (hereinafter referred
to as: Obelisks), pp. 60-66, 68-70; S. RATTE, La reine Hat-
chepsout: sources etproblemes, Orientalia Monspeliensia I,
Leiden 1979 (hereinafter referred to as: Hatchepsout),
pp. 205-207, 209-210; Ch. MEYER, Senenmut: eine
prosopographische Untersuchung, HAS 2, Hamburg 1982
(hereinafter referred to as: Senenmut), pp. 131-132,135-136;
GABOLDE, Deux obelisques de Thoutmosis II, pp. 149-150;
R DORMAN, The Monuments of Senenmut. Problems in
Historical Methodology, London 1988 (hereinafter referred
to as: Monuments of Senenmut), pp. 50, 61-62, 64;
A.-K. SELIM, Les obelisques egyptiens. Histoire et
archeologie, CASAE 26, Le Caire 1991 (hereinafter referred
to as: Obelisques), I, pp. 82-112, n, pp. 21-46; J.-Cl. GOLVIN,
Hatchepsout et les obelisques de Karnak, Les Dossiers
d’Atvheologie 187 (1993), pp. 36-40; Chr. WALLET-LEBRUN,
Contribution a Tetude de l'histoire de la construction a Kamak,
in: M. DEWACHTER, A. FOUCHARD, L’egyptologie et les
Champollion, Grenoble 1994, pp. 236-237; LABOURY, Re-
vue des historiens de Tart, des archeologues, des musico-
logues et des orientalistes de l ’ Universite de Liege 14(1995),
pp. 9 and 11; IDEM, La statuaire de Thoutmosis III. Essai
d’interpretation d’un portait royal dans son contexte
historique, /Egyptiaca Leodiensia 5, Liege 1998 (hereinafter
referred to as: Stahiaire de Thoutmosis III), pp. 21-24,47-49,
55,134,554,567-568,591 footnote 1747,594.
7 Urk. IV, p. 367,3-5.
101
Warsaw
Were Queen Hatshepsut’s Eastern Obelisks at Karnak Erected Twice?
(Plates 24-27)
It is commonly assumed that the eastern obelisks
of Queen Hatshepsut at Karnak were executed un-
der Senenmut’s supervision and then erected at the
beginning of her reign as a King, most probably on
the occasion of her enthronement.1 It is also well
known, that in the foundations of the southern ob-
elisk of the pair, blocks decorated with the names of
Thutmose H and Thutmose HI were reused.2 Recently,
blocks decorated with names of Hatshepsut herself
were discovered in the foundations of these obelisks.3
Since it was impossible to insert these blocks while
the monoliths stood on their bases, one might reject
such an early date for the erection of these obelisks
1 See D. NIEDZIOLKA, Some Remarks on the Graffito of
Senenmut at Aswan, in: J. POPIELSKA-GRZYBOWSKA
(ed. ). Proceedings of the First Central European Confe-
rence of Young Egyptologists. Egypt 1999: Perspectives
of Research. Warsaw 7-9 June 1999, Swiatowit Supple-
ment Series E: Egyptology, vol. I. WES, vol. Ill, Warsaw
2001 (hereinafter referred to as: Graffito of Senenmut), pp.
100-104, with an older bibliography concerning this issue.
2 See A. VARILLE, Description sommaire du sanctuaire ori-
ental d’ Amon-Re a Karnak, ASAE 50 (1950), p. 140 and pi. V.
3 Regarding unpublished blocks of Hatshepsut, see D. LA-
BOURY, L’evolution des relations politiques entre Thout-
mosis III et Hatshepsout a travers l'analyse de leur pro-
grammes architecturaux dans la region thebaine, Revue
des historiens de l 'art, des archeologues, des musicolo-
gues et des orientalistes de TUniversite de Liege 14 (1995),
Pp. 9 and 17 note 26.
4 L. GABOLDE, A propos de deux obelisques de Thoutmosis
II, dedies a son pere Thoutmosis I et eriges sous le regne
d'Hatshepsout-pharaon a l'ouest du IVe pylone, Cahiers de
Karnak VIII, Paris 1987 (hereinafter referred to as: Deux
obelisques de Thoutmosis II), pp. 143-158.
5 PM n2, p. 218; see also NIEDZIOLKA, Pyramidiaof Queen
Hatshepsut's Eastern Obelisks at Karnak and their Attri-
bution to Particular Bases, GM 175 (2000), pp. 39-58 and
bibliography therein, p. 40 footnote 3.
6 PM IF, pp. 81-83; see also W.C. HAYES, Internal Affairs from
Tuthmosis I to the Death of Amenophis III. Part 1, CAHII,
Cambridge 1962 (hereinafter referred to as: CAH), pp. 21-22;
W. WESTENDORF, Altdgyptische Darstellungen des
Sonnenlaufes aufder abschiissigen Himmelsbahn, MAS 10,
Berlin 1966,p. 15; G. BJORKMAN, Kings at Kamak. A Study
of the Treatment of the Monuments of Royal Predecessors in
the Early New Kingdom, Uppsala 1971 (hereinafter referred
in this case at least, if not of their execution.
It is well known that Hatshepsut erected three
pairs of obelisks in the precinct of Amon-Re at
Karnak: they were the monoliths erected in the fes-
tival court of Thutmose II in front of the IVth pylon
of the temple,4 those which once stood in the east-
ern part of the precinct,5 and the obelisks introduced
by the Queen into the hall between the IVth and the
Vth pylons of the temple.6 The most famous pair in
the wadjit hall was executed in the 16th regnal year
of Thutmose III, as Hatshepsut’s inscription at the
base of the still standing northern monolith of the
pak attests:7
to as: Kings at Kamak), pp. 66-67, 74-75; W. SEIPEL, Hat-
schepsut I., LA II, col. 1046; K. MARTIN, Lin Garantsymbol
des Lebens. Untersuchung zu Ursprung und Geschichte der
altdgyptischen Obelisken bis zum Ende des Neuen Reiches,
HAB 3, Hildesheim 1977 (hereinafter referred to as:
Garantsymbol).\)\~). 137-147;L. HABACHI, Obelisks of Egypt.
Skyscrapers of the Past, New York 1977 (hereinafter referred
to as: Obelisks), pp. 60-66, 68-70; S. RATTE, La reine Hat-
chepsout: sources etproblemes, Orientalia Monspeliensia I,
Leiden 1979 (hereinafter referred to as: Hatchepsout),
pp. 205-207, 209-210; Ch. MEYER, Senenmut: eine
prosopographische Untersuchung, HAS 2, Hamburg 1982
(hereinafter referred to as: Senenmut), pp. 131-132,135-136;
GABOLDE, Deux obelisques de Thoutmosis II, pp. 149-150;
R DORMAN, The Monuments of Senenmut. Problems in
Historical Methodology, London 1988 (hereinafter referred
to as: Monuments of Senenmut), pp. 50, 61-62, 64;
A.-K. SELIM, Les obelisques egyptiens. Histoire et
archeologie, CASAE 26, Le Caire 1991 (hereinafter referred
to as: Obelisques), I, pp. 82-112, n, pp. 21-46; J.-Cl. GOLVIN,
Hatchepsout et les obelisques de Karnak, Les Dossiers
d’Atvheologie 187 (1993), pp. 36-40; Chr. WALLET-LEBRUN,
Contribution a Tetude de l'histoire de la construction a Kamak,
in: M. DEWACHTER, A. FOUCHARD, L’egyptologie et les
Champollion, Grenoble 1994, pp. 236-237; LABOURY, Re-
vue des historiens de Tart, des archeologues, des musico-
logues et des orientalistes de l ’ Universite de Liege 14(1995),
pp. 9 and 11; IDEM, La statuaire de Thoutmosis III. Essai
d’interpretation d’un portait royal dans son contexte
historique, /Egyptiaca Leodiensia 5, Liege 1998 (hereinafter
referred to as: Stahiaire de Thoutmosis III), pp. 21-24,47-49,
55,134,554,567-568,591 footnote 1747,594.
7 Urk. IV, p. 367,3-5.
101