Archaeologists unearthedroughly 1,500 decorated stone blocks that once made up part of Hatshepsut's valley temple. Ahmad Hasaballah / Getty ImagesAncient Egypt was primarily ruled by men, with only a handful of women successfully coming to power. One of them was Hatshepsut, the sixth pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty, who reigned during the 15th century B.C.E.Hatshepsut was by far the most successful woman to rule Egypt as pharaoh, as Smithsonian magazines Elizabeth B. Wilson wrote in 2006. She insisted on being portrayed with male features, including the broad, bare chest of a man and the pharaonic false beard, though scholars dont know exactly why. Another mystery: After Hatshepsuts death around 1458 B.C.E., many of her monuments and statues were destroyed or defaced.Now, archaeologists in Egypt have unearthed roughly 1,500 stone blocks that once made up part of Hatshepsut's valley temple, which is located near her funerary temple in the city of Luxor. The blocks are decorated with colorful scenes and likely made up the temples foundation wall, reports Reuters Sayed Sheasha.These remarkable blocks retain their vivid colors and offer a glimpse into the artistry of the period, says Mohamed Ismail Khaled, secretary-general of Egypts Supreme Council of Antiquities, in a statement.Archaeologists also found a variety of tools, including chisels, a wooden hammer, an adz and a wooden cast for making mud bricks, according to Live Sciences Owen Jarus. They think these items were buried as the temple was being built. Over the past three years, archaeologists have made several discoveries while excavating the area around Hatshepsut's valley temple in Luxor. Ahmad Hasaballah / Getty ImagesExcavations also revealed a limestone tablet featuring the name Senmut, who was Hatshepsut's architect and managed the temples construction, per Reuters.Experts are still in the process of studying the artifacts, which they hope will offer new insights into the life and legacy of Hatshepsut.For me, the most important is the discovery of the blocks from the valley temple of Hatshepsut, Aidan Dodson, an Egyptologist at the University of Bristol who was not involved with the research, tells Live Science. Her main temple has been extensively excavated and studied since the mid-19th century, [but] the valley temple was only briefly examined by Howard Carter some 120 years ago.During their three-year excavation on the western bank of the Nile River, archaeologists also found burial shafts and pits that held wooden coffins dating back to between 1580 and 1550 B.C.E., reports theAssociated Press. One of the coffins contained the remains of a young child, who was likely buried roughly 3,600 years ago. Additionally, they found weapons that may have been used to battle the Hyksos, a group that invaded parts of ancient Egypt.Researchers also unearthed the tomb of Djehuty Mes, who was an overseer of the palace of Queen Tetisheri. Queen Tetisheris grandson, Ahmose I, expelled the Hyksos in the 16th century B.C.E. Live Science reports that archaeologists found several artifacts inside the tomb, including a limestone offering table, a commemorative stone slab and a cosmetics vessel.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Ancient Egypt, Archaeology, Artifacts, Cool Finds, Egypt, History, New Research, Queens, Women's History