Kekheretnebti
Encyclopedia
Kekheretnebti or Khekeretnebty was a Princess
of Egypt
, who lived during the Fifth Dynasty
. Her father was Pharaoh
Djedkare Isesi
.
Kekheretnebti was buried in a mastaba
('B') in the royal necropolis
at Abusir
, south-east of the mortuary temple
of Niuserre. Her skeletal remains show that she was a slender woman of 30–35 years when she died. Originally the mastaba belonged only to Kekheretnebti but later on the tomb was reconstructed and enlarged on the northern side to include a second burial, that of Kekheretnebti's daughter Tisethor
, who had barely reached the age of puberty.
Kekheretnebti was a full sister of princess Hedjetnebu
who was buried in a tomb nearby. The examination of the skeletal remains show that the sisters showed some similarities and were both clearly related to Djedkare Isesi. Archaeological evidence shows that Kekheretnebti's tomb was constructed first, soon followed by the construction of the tomb of her sister Hedjetnebu. A scribe to the royal children named Idu had a tomb constructed a short time after the tomb construction for the princesses.
, two offering rooms and a serdab
which contained the funerary statue of the princess. The hastily executed decoration of the offering room, roughly cut false door stelae and inferior wall paintings, including an unfinished painting of Kekheretnebti (sitting in a chair and watching wild animals), leads to the assumption that the death of Kekheretnebti was unexpected.
Princess
Princess is the feminine form of prince . Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or his daughters....
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 the Fifth Dynasty
Fifth dynasty of Egypt
The fifth dynasty of ancient Egypt is often combined with Dynasties III, IV and VI under the group title the Old Kingdom. Dynasty V dates approximately from 2494 to 2345 BC.-Rulers:...
. Her father was 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...
Djedkare Isesi
Djedkare Isesi
Djedkare Isesi in Greek known as Tancheres from Manetho's Aegyptiaca, was a Pharaoh of Egypt during the Fifth dynasty. He is assigned a reign of twenty-eight years by the Turin Canon although some Egyptologists believe this is an error and should rather be thirty-eight years...
.
Kekheretnebti was buried in a 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...
('B') in the royal necropolis
Necropolis
A necropolis is a large cemetery or burial ground, usually including structural tombs. The word comes from the Greek νεκρόπολις - nekropolis, literally meaning "city of the dead"...
at Abusir
Abusir
Abusir is the name given to an Egyptian archaeological locality – specifically, an extensive necropolis of the Old Kingdom period, together with later additions – in the vicinity of the modern capital Cairo...
, south-east of the mortuary temple
Mortuary temple
Mortuary temples were temples constructed adjacent to, or in the vicinity of, royal tombs in the Ancient Egypt. The temples were designed to commemorate the reign of the pharaoh by whom they were built, as well as for use by the pharaoh's cult after death.-History:Mortuary temples were built...
of Niuserre. Her skeletal remains show that she was a slender woman of 30–35 years when she died. Originally the mastaba belonged only to Kekheretnebti but later on the tomb was reconstructed and enlarged on the northern side to include a second burial, that of Kekheretnebti's daughter Tisethor
Tisethor
Tisethor was a Princess of ancient Egypt, a daughter of Princess Kekheretnebti and granddaughter of the King Djedkare Isesi. Her father is not know. She was a niece of Neserkauhor, Meret-Isesi and Isesi-ankh. She barely reached the age of puberty when she died. She was buried in the mastaba of her...
, who had barely reached the age of puberty.
Kekheretnebti was a full sister of princess Hedjetnebu
Hedjetnebu
Hedjetnebu was a Princess of Egypt, and she lived during 5th dynasty. Her father was Pharaoh Djedkare.- Biography :Hedjetnebu was buried in a tomb in Abusir, south-east of the mortuary temple of Niuserre. The skeletal remains of the princess show that she was a slender woman of 18-19 years when...
who was buried in a tomb nearby. The examination of the skeletal remains show that the sisters showed some similarities and were both clearly related to Djedkare Isesi. Archaeological evidence shows that Kekheretnebti's tomb was constructed first, soon followed by the construction of the tomb of her sister Hedjetnebu. A scribe to the royal children named Idu had a tomb constructed a short time after the tomb construction for the princesses.
Burial site
The burial mastaba of Kekheretnebti is nineteen meters long and fifteen meters wide and built of limestone and brick. It has a single entry on its eastern side which gives access to a suite of rooms arranged in a row. Despite having been looted by tomb robbers in ancient times, upon excavation the mastaba was found to be relatively well preserved and in places still had roofing blocks in position. The tomb consisted of an antechamberAntechamber
An antechamber is a smaller room or vestibule serving as an entryway into a larger one. The word is formed of the Latin ante camera, meaning "room before"....
, two offering rooms and a serdab
Serdab
A serdab , literally meaning "cold water", which became a loan word in Persian for 'cellar') is an ancient Egyptian tomb structure that served as a chamber for the Ka statue of a deceased individual. Used during the Old Kingdom, the serdab was a sealed chamber with a small slit or hole to allow the...
which contained the funerary statue of the princess. The hastily executed decoration of the offering room, roughly cut false door stelae and inferior wall paintings, including an unfinished painting of Kekheretnebti (sitting in a chair and watching wild animals), leads to the assumption that the death of Kekheretnebti was unexpected.