The Coffin of Ahhotep I, Ancient Egyptian Warrior Queen
In the late 19th century, Egyptologists discovered coffins at archaeological digs in Deir al Bahri and Draa Abu al Naga, including the coffins of one of Ancient Egypt’s most remarkable women, Queen Ahhotep I (circa 1560 – 1530 BC). She was a Seventeenth Dynasty warrior queen, who led armies in combat against the Hyksos – Semitic invaders who had conquered Lower Egypt. When her husband was killed fighting the invaders, Ahhotep took control of Egypt’s throne and armies as regent during the minority of her son, Ahmose I. As regent, she kept up the pressure against the Hyksos until her son was old enough to take over the fight.
According to a stele recording her deeds during this period: “The king’s wife, the noble lady, who knew everything, assembled Egypt. She looked after what her Sovereign had established. She guarded it. She assembled her fugitives. She brought together her deserters. She pacified her Upper Egyptians. She subdued her rebels … She is the one who has accomplished the rites and taken care of Egypt… She has looked after her soldiers, she has guarded her, she has brought back her fugitives and collected together her deserters, she has pacified Upper Egypt and expelled her rebels.”
Eventually, Ahhotep’s son came of age, took the reins of power, chased out the Hyksos, and reunified Egypt. He then went on to found the Eighteenth Dynasty, Ancient Egypt’s most famous and successful. During that dynasty, the Egyptian Empire reached its zenith, stretching from Syria in the north to Nubia in the south, and from Mesopotamia in the west to the Libyan deserts in the west.
While her son was busy in the south warring with Nubians, a cabal of Hyksos-sympathizing rebels attempted to seize the throne. Ahhotep rallied loyal troops, fought them off, and foiled their attempt. For that, she was rewarded with the “Golden Flies of Valor” – Ancient Egypt’s highest military award for courage – which was discovered in her tomb, along with weapons and jewelry, thousands of years later.
