Meresankh III
Encyclopedia
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.
of the Fourth dynasty of Egypt
and bore him four sons: Nebemakhet
, Niuserre, Khenterka and Duaenre as well as a daughter named Shepsetkau. She held the royal titles of King's Daughter and King's Wife, Great of Scepter.
When she died some time shortly after the reign of Khafra, Meresankh was buried in an extensively decorated mastaba
tomb at Giza along with a rock-cut chapel (G7530-5440). Inscriptions on the tomb provide both the time of her death and the date for her funeral, which followed some 272 days after her death. She apparently died during the first regnal year of an unnamed king, possibly the pharaoh Menkaure.
This tomb was originally planned for her mother Hetepheres II, but she instead donated it for her daughter's use—which suggests that Meresankh's death was sudden and unexpected. Hetepheres also provided her daughter with a black granite sarcophagus decorated with palace facades for Meresankh's burial.
Her tomb was discovered by archeologist George Reisner
on April 23, 1927, with subsequent excavations undertaken by his team on behalf of Harvard University
and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
.
Her sarcophagus and skeleton are today located in the Cairo Museum; the latter reveals that she was 1.54 metres (5 feet) tall and between 50–55 years at her death. The tomb also contained a set of the earliest known canopic jars. A limestone statue depicting Queen Hetepheres embracing her late daughter Meresankh was found in her tomb and is today located in the Museum of Fine Arts
in Boston.
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...
and 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 a grand-daughter of the Egyptian pharaoh 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...
. She was the wife of King Khafre.
History
Her parents were brother and sister. She married the 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...
of the Fourth dynasty of Egypt
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...
and bore him four sons: Nebemakhet
Nebemakhet
Nebemakhet was a king's son and a vizier during the 4th Dynasty. Nebemakhet was the son of King Khafre and Queen Meresankh III. He is shown in his mother's tomb and in his own tomb at Giza.-Family:...
, Niuserre, Khenterka and Duaenre as well as a daughter named Shepsetkau. She held the royal titles of King's Daughter and King's Wife, Great of Scepter.
When she died some time shortly after the reign of Khafra, Meresankh was buried in an extensively decorated 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 at Giza along with a rock-cut chapel (G7530-5440). Inscriptions on the tomb provide both the time of her death and the date for her funeral, which followed some 272 days after her death. She apparently died during the first regnal year of an unnamed king, possibly the pharaoh Menkaure.
This tomb was originally planned for her mother Hetepheres II, but she instead donated it for her daughter's use—which suggests that Meresankh's death was sudden and unexpected. Hetepheres also provided her daughter with a black granite sarcophagus decorated with palace facades for Meresankh's burial.
Her tomb was discovered by archeologist George Reisner
George Reisner
-References:* * "Reisner, George Andrew." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2005. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 11 Nov. 2005 .-External links:...
on April 23, 1927, with subsequent excavations undertaken by his team on behalf of Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
and 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...
.
Her sarcophagus and skeleton are today located in the Cairo Museum; the latter reveals that she was 1.54 metres (5 feet) tall and between 50–55 years at her death. The tomb also contained a set of the earliest known canopic jars. A limestone statue depicting Queen Hetepheres embracing her late daughter Meresankh was found in her tomb and is today located in the Museum of Fine Arts
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...
in Boston.
Meresankh III's Children
The children of Meresankh and Khafre include:- Prince NebemakhetNebemakhetNebemakhet was a king's son and a vizier during the 4th Dynasty. Nebemakhet was the son of King Khafre and Queen Meresankh III. He is shown in his mother's tomb and in his own tomb at Giza.-Family:...
Buried in Mastaba 8172. His titles include scribe of the (divine) book, elder of the snwt-house of his father, chief justice and vizier, hereditary prince, king's son of his body, chief lector-priest, khet-priest of the Great One, khet-priest of (?) Temp. Khephren to Menkaure or a little later. In the mastaba Duaenre, and Niuserre are mentioned. As well as a brother named Ankhemre. Nebemakhet's wife was named Nubhotep, Prophetess of Hathor Mistress-of-the-Sycamore in all her places, etc. - Prince DuaenreDuaenreDuaenre was a vizier under Menkaure during the Fourth dynasty of Egypt. His titles include those of king's son of his body , hereditary prince , count , vizier , scribe of the divine book , mouth of Nekhen , and mouth of every Butite .-Family:Duare was the son of...
Mastaba G5110 Vizier of Menkaure. Possibly father of Babaef (Khnumbaf?) - Prince Kenterka. Mentioned in Meresankh's tomb. Khenterka is assumed by some to be a son of Meresankh III.
- Prince Niuserre (A) (Ny-user-Re-ankh (?) is mentioned in Meresankh's tomb) King’s son of his body, Chief lector-priest of his father, Treasurer of the King of Lower Egypt, etc. Middle to end of Dyn. IV. (Unfinished Rock cut tomb in central field)
- Prince Ankhemre King's son of his body. Mentioned in the inner chapel of his brother Nebemakhet.
- Princess Shepsetkau (mentioned in Nebemakhet's Mastaba).