Advertisement
In ancient times, women’s rights varied greatly between the many well-known ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean. From Greece to Sparta, Rome to Greece, and Egypt to Israel, the women’s role in the home, community, religion, and government varied greatly. These differences allowed several women in Ancient Egypt to rise to the ultimate power position: Pharaoh. Ancient Egypt was a land where women were not seen as inferior beings when compared to men. Women in Ancient Egypt were able to do many things in Egyptian society that their Roman and Athenian counterparts were not able to do. and shared some similarities with the women of Sparta. The history of Ancient Egypt shows this strength of equality, and is speckled with several famous female rulers, such as Nefertiti and Cleopatra. Some less famous female rulers include the likes of Ahhotep, and Hatshepsut - one of the few female rulers who took the advanced step of crowning herself Pharaoh and incorporating all of the traditionally male customs of the Pharaoh into her rule. Hatshepsut was a strong female leader that challenged both feminine and masculine roles in Ancient Egypt. A debate over what exactly led to her step up in power has long since raged, and this paper will focus on two such possibilities, showing which of the two is the more likely reason. A strong culture of women’s rights, greater than other cultures of the same time, might have led to Hatshepsut crowning herself Pharaoh, however, her own personal willfulness and strength are the more likely explanations of this event. Shauna Scott has been obsessed with Ancient Egypt since she was a young child, a passion that was encouraged by her mother and grandmother in frequent trips to the bookstore and museum, especially when special exhibitions came to town. It was at one of these, Journey to the Afterlife at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, that she learned about the existence of the Egyptian Study Society, although it would take many more years for her to be able to join. Between books and documentaries, Shauna absorbed as much knowledge and factoids as she could, finding that she learned far more on her own than she did in school. She was often disappointed when in school the teacher spent only a day on Egypt and weeks studying Rome. In college, after changing majors from animal studies to business to history, Shauna continued her independent studies on Ancient Egypt since the only classes offered were Ancient Rome, Ancient Greece, and Medieval subjects. Shauna graduated from the University of Wyoming with a BA in history but learned that Ancient History graduate school programs were one of the most difficult programs to get accepted into. She accepted that in order to continue learning about Ancient Egypt, she would again be doing so on her own. This led her to finally joining the ESS and getting to meet so many people to continue learning from and attending events that expand her viewpoint.
Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83764908842
Advertisement
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Hampden Hall, 1000 Englewood Pkwy,Englewood, Colorado, United States
