The Punt Reliefs and Their Significance on Hatshepsut’s Reign

Ancient Egyptian society brings many thoughts to mind, such as pyramids, old mummified pharaohs, and even aliens.￿ This ancient society, situated on the Nile River, has been flourishing from 3150 BC to 30 BC, and its impacts are still visible today.

One of ancient Egypt’s most remarkable female pharaohs, Hatshepsut (1479–1458 BC), ruled during the New Kingdom of Egypt (1549–1077 BC) (Wicker, 1998, p. 155). Her reign saw the ambitious building projects from her prosperous economic performance, thanks to the emphasis on trading with neighbouring lands rather than military conquest. One of the more significant trade expeditions she conducted was to the land of Punt (modern-day Somalia), which is depicted in her mortuary temple in Deir el-Bahri as the Punt expedition reliefs. Though these sources provide us with valuable information for under-standing how Hatshepsut had implemented her foreign policy and self-representation as the divine ruler of Egypt, they may have certain biases due to the nature and propaganda of the time, which will be discussed later on.