Khentkaus II

The hieroglyphic
name of Khentkaus II

Khentkaus II (2475 BC - 2445 BC) was a queen of Egypt. She was a married woman of Egyptian Pharaoh Neferirkare Kakai of the Fifth Dynasty. She was the mother of Pharaohs Neferefre and Nyuserre Ini. Khentkaus II was the married woman of Neferirkare Kakai. Her pyramid complex was started during the prevail of her husband, when her title was still that of king's wife (hmt nswt). The building of her tomb was halted, maybe when her husband died, and was later resumed during the reign of her son. After the making was resumed her title was king's mother (mwt nswt). Khentkaues is shown on a block with her husband Neferirkare and a son addressed Ranefer (B).

Part of stone showing Khentkaus II

A limestone fragmentize was saw in the pyramid complex observing a king's girl Reputnebty, who is come after by a king's son Khentykauhor. From context, Reputnebty was a girl of Nyuserre and thus a granddaughter of Khentkaus. A further king's son Irenre Junior (nedjes) is mentioned.

Khentkaus II held several titles including the title Mwt-neswt-bity-neswt-bity which she has in common with Khentkaus I. This title is not well taken and could mean either mother of the multiple kings, or dual king and mother of the dual king. Other titles given by Khentkaus II let in important one of the hetes-sceptre (wrt-hetes), she who sees Horus and Seth (m33t-hrw-stsh), important of extolment (wrt-hzwt), king's wife (hmt-nisw), king's wife, his loved (hmt-nisw meryt.f), priestess of Bapef (hmt-ntr-b3-pf), priestess of Tjazepef (hmt-ntr-t3-zp.f), patroness of the slaughters in the acacia house (khrpt-sshmtiw-shndt), attendant of Horus (kht-hrw), God's daughter (s3t-ntr), fellow of Horus (smrt-hrw and tist-hrw).

The king's mother Khentkaus is mentioned in the Abusir Papyri. Khentkaus II got a pyramid complex in Abusir next to the pyramid complex of her hubby Neferirkare Kakai. The pyramid was initially excavated in 1906 by Borchardt. The social structure was then supposed to be a extended mastaba and was not unearthed very thoroughly. Seventy years later the Czech Institute took a thorough excavation of the site. The construction of the pyramid was probable started during the dominate of her husband Neferirkare Kakai and gone during the dominate of her son Nyuserre Ini. The pyramid was soaked during the First Intermediate Period. During the Middle Kingdom the pyramid was resume and the sarcophagus reprocessed for the burial of a young baby. By the stop of the New Kingdom the destruction of the site come when stones were taken from the site to be recycled elsewhere.

The mortuary temple of Khentkaues II was mounted, but the rests were damaged and what stays are a collection of fragments. The scenes included depictions of oblations, a funeral repast, agricultural settings, the advancement of funerary acres and the family of King Nyuserre recognise the Queen-Mother.

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