HATSHEPSUT, NEFERURE, THUTMOSE III, AND DYNASTIC SUCCESSION: DISMANTLING THE MYTH OF NEFERURE’S HEIRSHIP

Author

Celeste Curran

Date

2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Committee Chair

Laurel Darcy Hackley

Abstract

At the heart of most scholarly debates surrounding Neferure is the question of her political identity and what her depictions, and their erasure, reveal about her role at court. Despite a context of scholarship that assumes Maatkare as a female king would wish to establish a succession of female rulers, there is no evidence to unequivocally support the interpretation of Neferure as Maatkare’s heir. Instead, the evidence indicates that Neferure’s position in Maatkare’s court was one of unparalleled and secure female power, without the anticipation of kingship. In this thesis, I argue that we should interpret Neferure as being shown in proleptic representation typical of other powerful royal women and renew our understanding of Neferure’s exceptionalism as one that aligns her with the legacies of Ahmose Nefertari and queen Hatshepsut. I also argue that, rather than viewing Neferure as her mother’s heir, it is more likely that Hatshepsut had no designated successor.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to ProQuest.

Notes

Open access

Recommended Citation

Curran, Celeste, "HATSHEPSUT, NEFERURE, THUTMOSE III, AND DYNASTIC SUCCESSION: DISMANTLING THE MYTH OF NEFERURE’S HEIRSHIP" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 3813.
https://digitalcommons.memphis.edu/etd/3813