An Intriguing Inscription from Hatshepsut’s Punt Portico Mentioning a Royal Elephant Hunt

Abstract

The aim of this article is to re-analyse an inscription about a royal elephant hunt in the land of Niyi, carved on the west wall of the Punt Portico in the temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el- Bahari. A re-examination and new collation of the original text led to the conclusion that the inscription was a later addition, whose insertion required a modification of the original decoration of this section of the wall. The author observed that, contrary to the generally accepted view of scholars, the cartouche in the first column of the inscription does not include Thutmose I’s throne name but rather that of Hatshepsut, which was subsequently changed to Thutmose II’s. This article also discusses the historical ramifications of the abovedescribed reconstruction of the creation process and the subsequent modification of the inscription in question.