Ankhesenpepi II
Encyclopedia
Ankhesenpepi II or Ankhesenmeryre II was a queen consort during the sixth dynasty of Egypt
. She was the wife of Kings Pepi I and Merenre Nemtyemsaf I
, and the mother of Pepi II. She was buried in Saqqara
.
Nebet
. Her sister Ankhesenpepi I
was also married to King Pepi I and her brother Djau
served as vizier
.
Both Ankhesenpepi II and her sister Ankhesenpepi I
were married to Pharaoh
Pepi I whose throne name was Meryre; their name was taken when the marriage took place, since it means "Her life belongs to Pepi/Meryre". Both queens gave birth to the kings: the son of Ankhesenpepi I was Merenre Nemtyemsaf I
, who ruled only for a few years; the son of Ankhesenpepi II was Pepi II, who succeeded after Nemtyemsaf's death. Pepi II was a young boy when he succeeded to the throne. There are indications that Ankhesenpepi II served as a regent for her son in those early years of his reign. A statue which shows her with her son on her lap (now in Brooklyn
) shows the queen much larger in size than her son. Some have interpreted this statue as Ankhesenpepi I and her son Pepi II assuming the roles of the goddess Isis
and her son Horus
.
She is also mentioned together with her sister on their brother's stela in Abydos
, at her pyramid and in that of her daughter-in-law Neith
. She further appears in a decree in Abydos. She is depicted in the Sinai, where she is shown equal in size to her son.
Since the temple was constructed under Pepi II because it makes a reference to king Pepi II, this shows that Merenre married Queen Ankhesenpepi II after Pepi I died. Merenre was Ankhesenpepi II's nephew. As the South Saqqara Stone
document, an annal document created under Pepi II, shows that no period of coregency existed under Pepi I and Merenre, this suggests that Merenre and Ankhesenpepi II were rather the parents of Pepi II (rather than Pepi I) particularly since this document also assigns Merenre an independent reign of about a decade to Merenre.
After her son Pepi came to the throne, Ankhesenpepi added the titles Mother of the Dual King Men-ankh-Neferkare (mwt-niswt-biti-mn-kh`-nfr-k3-r`), King’s Mother of Men-ankh-Neferkare (mwt-niswt- mn-kh`-nfr-k3-r`), and King’s Mother (mwt-niswt).
was found and excavated in 1998. The finds show that Ankhesenpepi's pyramid contained the first known examples of the pyramid texts in a Queen's pyramid. The texts refer to her as a queen mother, hence the construction of her pyramid dates to the reign of her son.
In 2000, the burial chamber was discovered and remains which could be those of the queen were found. The burial was disturbed and the mummy found in and near the sarcophagus was incomplete. The bones belong to a middle aged woman.
Sixth dynasty of Egypt
The sixth dynasty of ancient Egypt is often combined with Dynasties III, IV and V under the group title the Old Kingdom.-Pharaohs:...
. She was the wife of Kings Pepi I and Merenre Nemtyemsaf I
Merenre Nemtyemsaf I
Merenre Nemtyemsaf I was the fourth king of the Sixth dynasty of Egypt. His nomen, theophorically referring to Nemty, was formerly read as Antyemsaf, a reading now known to be incorrect.- Biography :...
, and the mother of Pepi II. She was buried in Saqqara
Saqqara
Saqqara is a vast, ancient burial ground in Egypt, serving as the necropolis for the Ancient Egyptian capital, Memphis. Saqqara features numerous pyramids, including the world famous Step pyramid of Djoser, sometimes referred to as the Step Tomb due to its rectangular base, as well as a number of...
.
Biography
Ankhesenpepi II was the daughter of Khui and the female vizierVizier (Ancient Egypt)
The vizier was the highest official in Ancient Egypt to serve the king, or pharaoh during the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms. Vizier is the generally accepted rendering of ancient Egyptian tjati, tjaty etc, among Egyptologists...
Nebet
Nebet
Nebet was created vizier during the late Old Kingdom of Egypt by Pharaoh Pepi I of the Sixth dynasty, her son-in-law. She is the first recorded female vizier in Ancient Egyptian history, the next one was in the 26th Dynasty....
. Her sister Ankhesenpepi I
Ankhesenpepi I
Ankhenespepi I or Ankhenesmeryre I was a queen consort during the sixth dynasty of Egypt.- Biography :Ankhesenpepi was a daughter of Nebet the female vizier and her husband Khui...
was also married to King Pepi I and her brother Djau
Djau
Djau was a vizier of Upper Egypt during the 6th dynasty. He was a member of an influential family from Abydos; his mother was the vizier Nebet, his father was called Khui. His two sisters Ankhesenpepi I and Ankhesenpepi II married Pharaoh Pepi I. Djau was already in office when his nephew Pepi II...
served as vizier
Vizier (Ancient Egypt)
The vizier was the highest official in Ancient Egypt to serve the king, or pharaoh during the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms. Vizier is the generally accepted rendering of ancient Egyptian tjati, tjaty etc, among Egyptologists...
.
Both Ankhesenpepi II and her sister Ankhesenpepi I
Ankhesenpepi I
Ankhenespepi I or Ankhenesmeryre I was a queen consort during the sixth dynasty of Egypt.- Biography :Ankhesenpepi was a daughter of Nebet the female vizier and her husband Khui...
were married to Pharaoh
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
Pepi I whose throne name was Meryre; their name was taken when the marriage took place, since it means "Her life belongs to Pepi/Meryre". Both queens gave birth to the kings: the son of Ankhesenpepi I was Merenre Nemtyemsaf I
Merenre Nemtyemsaf I
Merenre Nemtyemsaf I was the fourth king of the Sixth dynasty of Egypt. His nomen, theophorically referring to Nemty, was formerly read as Antyemsaf, a reading now known to be incorrect.- Biography :...
, who ruled only for a few years; the son of Ankhesenpepi II was Pepi II, who succeeded after Nemtyemsaf's death. Pepi II was a young boy when he succeeded to the throne. There are indications that Ankhesenpepi II served as a regent for her son in those early years of his reign. A statue which shows her with her son on her lap (now in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
) shows the queen much larger in size than her son. Some have interpreted this statue as Ankhesenpepi I and her son Pepi II assuming the roles of the goddess Isis
Isis
Isis or in original more likely Aset is a goddess in Ancient Egyptian religious beliefs, whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. She was worshipped as the ideal mother and wife as well as the matron of nature and magic...
and her son Horus
Horus
Horus is one of the oldest and most significant deities in the Ancient Egyptian religion, who was worshipped from at least the late Predynastic period through to Greco-Roman times. Different forms of Horus are recorded in history and these are treated as distinct gods by Egyptologists...
.
She is also mentioned together with her sister on their brother's stela in Abydos
Abydos, Egypt
Abydos is one of the most ancient cities of Upper Egypt, and also of the eight Upper Nome, of which it was the capital city. It is located about 11 kilometres west of the Nile at latitude 26° 10' N, near the modern Egyptian towns of el-'Araba el Madfuna and al-Balyana...
, at her pyramid and in that of her daughter-in-law Neith
Neith (wife of Pepi II)
Neith was an ancient Egyptian queen consort, one of the principal queens of the Old Kingdom pharaoh Pepi II, who ruled . Queen Neith was named after goddess Neith.-Family:...
. She further appears in a decree in Abydos. She is depicted in the Sinai, where she is shown equal in size to her son.
Royal titles of Ankhesenpepi II
Her titles as queen were: Great one of the hetes-sceptre (wrt-hetes), She who sees Horus and Seth (m33t-hrw-stsh), Great of Praises (wrt-hzwt), King’s Wife of Mennefer-Meryre (hmt-niswt-mn-nfr-mry-r`), King’s Wife, his beloved (hmt-nisw meryt.f), God’s Daughter (s3t-ntr), This Daughter of a God (s3t-ntr-wt), Attendant of the Great One (khtt-wr), Companion of Horus (tist-hrw), Companion of Horus (smrt-hrw). However, it is now known that she was also the chief queen of Merenre after the death of Pepi I, her first husband. In 1999/2000, excavation work at her Saqqara funerary temple uncovered several stone blocks inscribed with a previously unknown royal title for her:- "[The] King's Wife of the Pyramid of Pepy I, King's Wife of the Pyramid of Merenre, King's Mother of the Pyramid of Pepy II."
Since the temple was constructed under Pepi II because it makes a reference to king Pepi II, this shows that Merenre married Queen Ankhesenpepi II after Pepi I died. Merenre was Ankhesenpepi II's nephew. As the South Saqqara Stone
South Saqqara Stone
The South Saqqara Stone is the lid of the sarcophagus of the ancient Egyptian queen Ankhenespepi which was inscribed with a list for the reigns of the pharaohs of the 6th dynasty from Teti, Userkare, Pepi I, Merenre to the early years of Pepi II under whom the document was likely created...
document, an annal document created under Pepi II, shows that no period of coregency existed under Pepi I and Merenre, this suggests that Merenre and Ankhesenpepi II were rather the parents of Pepi II (rather than Pepi I) particularly since this document also assigns Merenre an independent reign of about a decade to Merenre.
After her son Pepi came to the throne, Ankhesenpepi added the titles Mother of the Dual King Men-ankh-Neferkare (mwt-niswt-biti-mn-kh`-nfr-k3-r`), King’s Mother of Men-ankh-Neferkare (mwt-niswt- mn-kh`-nfr-k3-r`), and King’s Mother (mwt-niswt).
Death and burial
Ankhesenpepi II's pyramid in SaqqaraSaqqara
Saqqara is a vast, ancient burial ground in Egypt, serving as the necropolis for the Ancient Egyptian capital, Memphis. Saqqara features numerous pyramids, including the world famous Step pyramid of Djoser, sometimes referred to as the Step Tomb due to its rectangular base, as well as a number of...
was found and excavated in 1998. The finds show that Ankhesenpepi's pyramid contained the first known examples of the pyramid texts in a Queen's pyramid. The texts refer to her as a queen mother, hence the construction of her pyramid dates to the reign of her son.
In 2000, the burial chamber was discovered and remains which could be those of the queen were found. The burial was disturbed and the mummy found in and near the sarcophagus was incomplete. The bones belong to a middle aged woman.