Henutsen
Encyclopedia
Henutsen was an ancient Egypt
ian queen of the 4th dynasty
.
Sneferu
and his third wife. Henutsen married her elder half-brother Khufu
. Her name is known only from a 16th dynasty stela, found next to an Isis
' temple which was built during the reign of the 20th dynasty near Pyramid G 1c (which was hers). The stela calls her "King's Daughter".
. If so, Khafre may have added pyramid G1c to the pyramid complex of his father to have his mother interred there. Henutsen is further attested in the tomb of Minkhaf I (G 7430 - 7440). She is depicted in Khufukhaf's tomb.
, but with Khufukhaf's mastaba
tomb nearby.
Pyramid G 1c was at some point thought to possibly be a satellite pyramid, because it did not come with a boat pit like pyramids G 1a and G 1b. It was later determined to be an unfinished pyramid however which was constructed in a hurry. Henutsen is thought to have been buried in the tomb. Dr. Rainer Stadelmann believes Khufukhaf is the same person as Khafra and the pyramid was built by him for his mother, but this identification is doubtful.
's Histories
whom the pharaoh prostituted to finance the building of his pyramid. The story is completely groundless.
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
ian queen of the 4th dynasty
Fourth dynasty of Egypt
The fourth dynasty of ancient Egypt is characterized as a "golden age" of the Old Kingdom. Dynasty IV lasted from ca. 2613 to 2494 BC...
.
Biography
Henutsen was a daughter of PharaohPharaoh
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...
Sneferu
Sneferu
Sneferu, also spelled as Snephru, Snefru or Snofru , was the founder of the Fourth dynasty of Egypt. Estimates of his reign vary, with for instance The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt suggesting a reign from around 2613 BC to 2589 BC, a reign of 24 years, while Rolf Krauss suggests a 30-year reign...
and his third wife. Henutsen married her elder half-brother Khufu
Khufu
Khufu , also known as Cheops or, in Manetho, Suphis , was a Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt's Old Kingdom. He reigned from around 2589 to 2566 BC. Khufu was the second pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty. He is generally accepted as being the builder of the Great Pyramid of Giza, one of the Seven Wonders of...
. Her name is known only from a 16th dynasty stela, found next to an 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...
' temple which was built during the reign of the 20th dynasty near Pyramid G 1c (which was hers). The stela calls her "King's Daughter".
Children
The children of Henutsen and Khufu are buried in Giza. Stadelman proposed that one of Henutsen's sons, Khufukhaf I, actually later became Pharaoh KhafraKhafra
Khafra — also Khafre — was an Egyptian pharaoh of the Fourth dynasty, who had his capital at Memphis. According to some authors he was the son and successor of Khufu, but it is more commonly accepted that Djedefre was Khufu's successor and Khafra was Djedefre's...
. If so, Khafre may have added pyramid G1c to the pyramid complex of his father to have his mother interred there. Henutsen is further attested in the tomb of Minkhaf I (G 7430 - 7440). She is depicted in Khufukhaf's tomb.
Tomb - Pyramid G 1c
Pyramid G 1c was originally not a part of Khufu's pyramid complex, as its southern side is aligned not with the side of the Great PyramidGreat Pyramid of Giza
The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis bordering what is now El Giza, Egypt. It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain largely intact...
, but with Khufukhaf's mastaba
Mastaba
A mastaba, or "pr-djt" , is a type of ancient Egyptian tomb in the form of a flat-roofed, rectangular structure with outward sloping sides that marked the burial site of many eminent Egyptians of Egypt's ancient period...
tomb nearby.
Pyramid G 1c was at some point thought to possibly be a satellite pyramid, because it did not come with a boat pit like pyramids G 1a and G 1b. It was later determined to be an unfinished pyramid however which was constructed in a hurry. Henutsen is thought to have been buried in the tomb. Dr. Rainer Stadelmann believes Khufukhaf is the same person as Khafra and the pyramid was built by him for his mother, but this identification is doubtful.
In fiction
Henutsen is identified with the daughter of Khufu in HerodotusHerodotus
Herodotus was an ancient Greek historian who was born in Halicarnassus, Caria and lived in the 5th century BC . He has been called the "Father of History", and was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically, test their accuracy to a certain extent and arrange them in a...
's Histories
Histories (Herodotus)
The Histories of Herodotus is considered one of the seminal works of history in Western literature. Written from the 450s to the 420s BC in the Ionic dialect of classical Greek, The Histories serves as a record of the ancient traditions, politics, geography, and clashes of various cultures that...
whom the pharaoh prostituted to finance the building of his pyramid. The story is completely groundless.
External links
- Henutsen's pyramid
- Article about 4th dynasty Queens by P. Vanderzwet