Egyptian Pharaoh. Born Maatkare Hatshepsut in the late 15th century BC, daughter of Tuthmose I and Aahmes, both of royal lineage, the one girl of their three children. Her brothers predeceased her and she married her half-brother, Tuthmose I's son by Moutnofrit, Tuthmose II. Although Tuthmose II sired a son on his concubine, Hatshepsut bore only one daughter. Tuthmose died in 1479 BC after ruling for less than four years and his son was declared heir while Hatshepsut took the unprecedented step of ruling as regent. This state of affairs persisted until about 1473 BC when Hatshepsut declared herself pharaoh, the fifth ruler of the 18th Dynasty. Habitually attired in Pharonic dress including a false beard, Hatshepsut administered affairs of the nation with the full support of the high priest of Amun, Hapuseneb and other officials. She was one of the most prolific builders of ancient Egypt, commissioning hundreds of construction projects throughout the country. She also began rebuilding Egypt's trade networks which had been disrupted by the Hyksos occupation of Egypt during the Second Intermediate Period. She built a magnificent temple at Deir-el-Bahri in Thebes filled with reliefs promoting her position as Pharaoh. Some referenced military activity including her campaign in Nubia, where she led Egyptian forces. She was apparently a master politician, and stateswoman with enough charisma to retain control of an empire for over twenty years. She disappeared in 1458 BC when Thutmose III apparently led a revolt against his aunt, the circumstances of this revolt are unknown and what became of Hatshepsut is a mystery. After her death, her mummy was stolen and her tomb destroyed; only one of her canopic jars was found. It is presumed that Tuthmose III then ordered the systematic erasure of her name from any monument she had built or had been dedicated to her, including her temple at Deir-el-Bahri. In 2007 an unidentified mummy from KV60 was tentatively identified as Hatshepsut based upon a molar with one root found inside a small wooden box inscribed with her name which fit a gap in the mummy's jaw. The identification is not universally accepted. Hatshepsut is variously named as the earliest known queen regnant in history, as the first female to take the title Pharaoh, and the first great woman in history. Modern Egyptologists regard her as one of the most successful pharaohs of ancient Egypt. Her name is sometimes spelled Hapshepsut, Hatchepsut, or Hat-shep-set.