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Primary sourceArtifactc. 1473-1458 BCE

Scarabs Inscribed with the Throne Name Maatkare

Royal workshops · c. 1473-1458 BCE

Small seal amulets bearing Hatshepsut's royal throne name, commissioned under her reign.

Carries her royal throne name Maatkare, showing how her kingship was spread through everyday objects.

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Photograph of an oval blue-green faience scarab seal on a white background. Its flat base bears incised hieroglyphs in dark brown-black with small red accents, including a vertical sign, a seated figure with a feather-like crown, and a circular disk.
Scarab inscribed with the throne name Maatkare, c. 1473-1458 BCE. Metropolitan Museum of Art / British Museum.

About this source

What it is

These are faience scarab seal amulets, mass-produced objects inscribed with the throne name Maatkare, which belonged to Hatshepsut. They date from her reign and are held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the British Museum.

Why it matters

Scarabs like these circulated widely among officials and ordinary people, carrying the pharaoh's name into everyday life. They show how Hatshepsut's kingship was publicised beyond temples and monuments, reaching people through small, portable objects.

Look closer

  • Why might a ruler want their name on small objects used by many people?
  • What do the hieroglyphs on the scarab tell us about how Hatshepsut wanted to be seen?
  • How does an object like this compare to a grand monument in spreading a ruler's image?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Hatshepsut on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Secondary source

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Punt Expedition Reliefs

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