Woman pharaoh's legacy is re-examined

She was one of ancient Egypt's most successful rulers, a rare female pharaoh who preceded Cleopatra by 1,500 years, but Queen Hatshepsut's legacy was systematically erased by her stepson successor after her death.

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Toronto - She was one of ancient Egypt's most successful rulers, a rare female pharaoh who preceded Cleopatra by 1,500 years, but Queen Hatshepsut's legacy was systematically erased by her stepson successor after her death.

The question of why her impressive reign was so methodically scrubbed has attracted significant debate but in new research, University of Toronto scholar Jun Wong argues far too much emphasis has been placed on her gender.

"It's quite a romantic question: why was this pharaoh attacked after her death?" Wong said, explaining his interest in a monarch who steered ancient Egypt through a period of extraordinary prosperity.