Scientists believe DNA from bones confirm the identity of Queen Hatshepsut, ancient Egypt's most powerful female pharaoh. When she ruled Egypt in the 15th century B.C., Hatshepsut “was known for dressing like a man and wearing a false beard.”
This from Wikipedia, so take it for what you will: “Many existing statues show her in both a feminine and masculine form. Statues portraying Sobekneferu also combine elements of traditional male and female iconography and may have served as inspiration for the works commissioned by Hatshepsut.[14] However, after this period of transition ended, all depictions of her showed her in a masculine form, with all of the pharaonic regalia and with her breasts omitted. Her reasons for doing this are a topic of great debate in Egyptology. The traditional explanation is that her motivation for wearing men's clothing was sexual. However, most modern scholars believe in a more recent theory: that by assuming the exclusively male symbols of pharaonic power, Hatshepsut was asserting her claim to be King or Queen regnant and not “King's Great Wife” or Queen consort. Even after assuming the male persona, Hatshepsut still described herself as a beautiful woman, often the most beautiful woman, and although she assumed almost all of her father's titles, she declined to take the title ‘The Strong Bull'.” She also had a stunning mortuary temple (right).
Via AP: “The discovery, announced Wednesday at the museum in Cairo, has not been independently reviewed by other experts. While scientists are still matching those mitochondrial DNA sequences, [molecular geneticist Yehia Zakaria] Gad said preliminary results were ‘very encouraging.' [Egypt's antiquities chief Zahi] Hawass also said that a molar found in a jar with some of the queen's embalmed organs perfectly matched the mummy. ‘We are 100 percent certain' the mummy is that of Hatshepsut, Hawass told The Associated Press.”
