Q for Queen Hatshepsut: Female Scientists Before Our Time

Statue of Hatshepsut

 -Metropolitan Museum of Art

Queen Hatshepsut ruled as Egypt's 5th pharaoh from c.1478 to 1458 BC, a role she inherited when her husband/half-brother Thutmose II passed away. She had married him at the young age of twelve.  

During her reign as Pharaoh, she built beautiful temples and expanded trade to the south in Punt, trading jewelry, papyrus, and bronze weapons in exchange for ivory, perfume, gold, leopard skins and live apes. Much more has been written about her, but in brief, she was Egypt's 2nd female pharaoh and is considered to be one of Egypt's most important pharaohs. But before we get to her scientific contribution it's important to understand the back story.


After Queen Hatshepsut died, Thutmose III (her stepson/half-brother) was finally old enough to reign. She had been ruling in behalf of Thutmose, who had been ten-years-old at the start of her rule.  




Confused with the genealogy? I sure was. Below is a chart that helps explain. Technically, Thutmose III and Amenhotep II were Hatsheput's half-brothers. Hatshepsut also (according to this chart) was the same queen who found Moses of the Bible floating in the river . . . but that's another story!
 

The two half-brothers are important in Hatshepsut's story, because these are the two pharaohs who proceeded to remove all references to Hatshepsut as pharaoh. Removal of Hatsheput's reign in history included the defacing of monuments. Within a short time two jealous (?) brothers had erased the records of accomplishments from her eulogies, and taken full credit. The reasons are not all together clear. Although this was not an uncommon practice, the fact that she had been Egypt's 2nd female pharaoh makes their act all the more outrageous. Further, an important aspect of her story was lost in the process.

Temple of Hatshepsut built in Thebes

Few knew of Hatshepsut's support of education and medical science until recently, or that she had encouraged many women to study medicine. In fact, she had encouraged all of her subjects to read and become educated. A strong supporter of medical science in particular, she started three medical schools. She built botanical and herbal gardens too, where women healers were responsible for growing medicinal plants and keeping the pharmacies full. 

After the queen’s death this window of opportunity slowly faded for women. Medical practice shifted to mostly male priests and healers. Despite the setback, the medical schools flourished. Word spread, drawing many 'soon to be' Greek physicians to the schools for medical training. Historians have since added to the queen’s eulogy, her heart for science and education and the encouragement she gave to women wishing to become physicians.

Source:
http://www.ancient.eu/article/49/; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatshepsut
Brooke, Elisabeth, 1995. Women Healers: Portraits of herbalists, Physician, and Midwives. Healing Arts Press.
Bennett, Jennifer, 2009. “Lilies of the Hearth: The Historical Relationship Between Women and Plants.” In: Botanical Medicine for Women's Health, Aviva Romm, ed. Churchill Livingstone.