Hatshepsut (ca. 1505–1458 BCE), the most powerful of ancient Egypt’s female rulers, was also one of the most successful, notable for reopening old trade routes, commissioning massive building projects—including her own mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahri—and ushering in an era of political stability, economic growth, and artistic innovation. Her rise to the throne began when, after the death of her husband Thutmose II, she appointed herself regent for her young stepson, Thutmose III; some years into her regency, she claimed the title of pharaoh, fashioning herself as a living god. Yet as archeologists discovered when excavating Deir el-Barhri in the early 20th century, all physical reminders of Hatshepsut and her 20-year reign seemed to have been subjected to systematic destruction after her death, with her cartouches hacked from walls and obelisks and sculptures of her broken into pieces. Scholars once assumed that the defacement was carried out by a vengeful Thutmose III, who finally succeeded her.…