Meresankh II
Encyclopedia
Meresankh II was a Queen
of Egypt
who lived during 4th dynasty.
and Queen Meritites I
given that they are mentioned in Meresankh's mastaba. She is never explicitly called their daughter however. Assuming Meresankh's filiation as stated, this would make Meresankh II a full sister of Prince Kawab
and Queen Hetepheres II
. She was also a sister of Princess Meritites II
who was later married to the Palace Director Akhethotep (Akhtihotep). Meresankh II shares her name with her great-grandmother Meresankh I
, mother of Sneferu
. Meresankh III
was a niece of Meresankh II.
It is assumed that Meresankh II married her half-brother Horbaef
and they had children named Djaty
, Nefertkau III
and Nebty-tepites
.
Meresankh II has the titles of a queen and it is usually assumed that her husband Horbaf died and that Meresankh remarried one of the subsequent kings. It is possible that she married her half-brother Djedefre, but it is also possible she married Khafra
.
G 7410 - 7420 with her first husband Horbaef
. The tomb was excavated by George Andrew Reisner. Meresankh was buried in a shaft (G 7410B) with two rooms. Horbaef was buried in shaft G 7420A.
Meresankh's sarcophagus
was found and removed during the 1927 excavations and is now in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
. The sarcophagus is made of red granite and is inscribed on all four sides. The photograph provided by the BMFA shows a rectangular sarcophagus. The side shown is decorated with a facade of a palace. In the center the doors to the palace are shown. To the left of the palace facade is the inscription "King's Daughter of his body, Meresankh" (sat nesu n khetef mr.s.ankh) on the right there is an inscription identifying the lady as [...] "Horus, King's Wife Meresankh". The sarcophagus of Meresankh is decorated with an Anubis
-jackal on the lid and offering-lists on ends.
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
who lived during 4th dynasty.
Family
Meresankh II's parents are assumed to be King KhufuKhufu
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...
and Queen Meritites I
Meritites I
Meritites I was an ancient Egyptian Queen of the 4th dynasty.She was a daughter of King Sneferu and the wife of King Khufu. Her name means "Beloved of her Father". Several of her titles are known from a stela found at Giza. She was the mother of Crown Prince Kawab and may have had several more...
given that they are mentioned in Meresankh's mastaba. She is never explicitly called their daughter however. Assuming Meresankh's filiation as stated, this would make Meresankh II a full sister of Prince Kawab
Kawab
Kawab was an ancient Egyptian prince of the 4th Dynasty. He was the eldest son of King Khufu and Queen Meritites I. Kawab served as vizier and was buried in the double mastaba G 7110 - 7120 in the east field which is part of the Giza Necropolis.- Biography:Kawab was the eldest son of Pharaoh...
and Queen Hetepheres II
Hetepheres II
- Birth and family :Queen Hetepheres II may have been one of the longest-lived members of the royal family of the Fourth dynasty of Egypt, which lasted from ca. 2723 to 2563 BC. She was a daughter of Khufu and was either born during the reign of her grandfather Sneferu or during the early years of...
. She was also a sister of Princess Meritites II
Meritites II
Meritites II or Meritites A was a 4th dynasty Princess of Ancient Egypt, and likely a daughter of King Khufu. She may have been a daughter of Meritites I besed on the fact that this queen is mentioned in mastaba G 7650...
who was later married to the Palace Director Akhethotep (Akhtihotep). Meresankh II shares her name with her great-grandmother Meresankh I
Meresankh I
Meresankh I was Ancient Egyptian king's wife and the mother of King Sneferu. She may have been a wife of King Huni, the last king of the 3rd dynasty....
, mother of 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...
. Meresankh III
Meresankh III
Queen Meresankh III was the daughter of Hetepheres II and Prince Kawab and a grand-daughter of the Egyptian pharaoh Khufu. She was the wife of King Khafre.-History:...
was a niece of Meresankh II.
It is assumed that Meresankh II married her half-brother Horbaef
Horbaef
Horbaef was an Ancient Egyptian prince of the 4th dynasty. His title was "king's son". He was named after god Horus.- Biography :...
and they had children named Djaty
Djaty
Djaty I was a nobleman who lived in the ancient Egypt during the 4th dynasty. He was an Overseer of the expedition.- Biography :...
, Nefertkau III
Nefertkau III
Nefertkau III was an Ancient Egyptian Princess. She lived during the 4th dynasty. She was possibly a daughter of Meresankh II and Prince Horbaef and thus sister of Nebty-tepites. She was married to an official named Iynefer. She was buried with her husband in G 7820.-Family:Nefertkau was possibly a...
and Nebty-tepites
Nebty-tepites
G16-tp-it-aNebty-tepites was a Princess of Ancient Egypt. She is mentioned in the tomb of her mother, Meresankh II.- Biography :...
.
- Prince DjatyDjatyDjaty I was a nobleman who lived in the ancient Egypt during the 4th dynasty. He was an Overseer of the expedition.- Biography :...
U29-t-A-i-i His titles: King’s son of his body, Overseer of the expedition. His tomb is mastaba G 7810. The tomb may date to the end of the 4th dynasty or even the beginning of the 5th dynasty. - Princess Nefertkau IIINefertkau IIINefertkau III was an Ancient Egyptian Princess. She lived during the 4th dynasty. She was possibly a daughter of Meresankh II and Prince Horbaef and thus sister of Nebty-tepites. She was married to an official named Iynefer. She was buried with her husband in G 7820.-Family:Nefertkau was possibly a...
nfr-t-kA-w Buried in mastaba G 7820 with her husband Iynefer IIIynefer IIIynefer II was an ancient Egyptian Prince, son of Pharaoh Khufu. He was named after his uncle Iynefer I. Iynefer II's wife was called Nefertkau III; she was his niece, and they had one son and one daughter. Both Iynefer and his wife are buried in the mastaba G 7820 at Giza, Egypt.-References:...
.i-i-nfr The mastaba dates to the end of the 4th dynasty or even the beginning of the 5th dynasty. - Princess Nebty-tepitesNebty-tepitesG16-tp-it-aNebty-tepites was a Princess of Ancient Egypt. She is mentioned in the tomb of her mother, Meresankh II.- Biography :...
G16-tp-it-a A daughter mentioned in Meresankh's tomb.
Meresankh II has the titles of a queen and it is usually assumed that her husband Horbaf died and that Meresankh remarried one of the subsequent kings. It is possible that she married her half-brother Djedefre, but it is also possible she married Khafra
Khafra
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...
.
Titles
The titles of Meresankh II include:- Great one of the hetes-sceptre (wrt-hetes)
- She who sees Horus and Seth (m33t-hrw-stsh)
- King’s Wife (hmt-nisw)
- Attendant of HorusHorusHorus 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...
(kht-hrw) - King’s Daughter of his body (s3t-niswt-nt-kht.f)
Tomb and Burial
Meresankh II was buried in a double mastabaMastaba
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...
G 7410 - 7420 with her first husband Horbaef
Horbaef
Horbaef was an Ancient Egyptian prince of the 4th dynasty. His title was "king's son". He was named after god Horus.- Biography :...
. The tomb was excavated by George Andrew Reisner. Meresankh was buried in a shaft (G 7410B) with two rooms. Horbaef was buried in shaft G 7420A.
Meresankh's sarcophagus
Sarcophagus
A sarcophagus is a funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone. The word "sarcophagus" comes from the Greek σαρξ sarx meaning "flesh", and φαγειν phagein meaning "to eat", hence sarkophagus means "flesh-eating"; from the phrase lithos sarkophagos...
was found and removed during the 1927 excavations and is now in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts, is one of the largest museums in the United States, attracting over one million visitors a year. It contains over 450,000 works of art, making it one of the most comprehensive collections in the Americas...
. The sarcophagus is made of red granite and is inscribed on all four sides. The photograph provided by the BMFA shows a rectangular sarcophagus. The side shown is decorated with a facade of a palace. In the center the doors to the palace are shown. To the left of the palace facade is the inscription "King's Daughter of his body, Meresankh" (sat nesu n khetef mr.s.ankh) on the right there is an inscription identifying the lady as [...] "Horus, King's Wife Meresankh". The sarcophagus of Meresankh is decorated with an Anubis
Anubis
Anubis is the Greek name for a jackal-headed god associated with mummification and the afterlife in ancient Egyptian religion. In the ancient Egyptian language, Anubis is known as Inpu . According to the Akkadian transcription in the Amarna letters, Anubis' name was vocalized as Anapa...
-jackal on the lid and offering-lists on ends.