Neferetkaus Iku

Neferetkaus Iku (according to another reading Neferkaus Iku ) was an ancient Egyptian princess at the transition from the 5th to the 6th dynasty . She may have been a daughter of Pharaoh Unas and had the title of birth king's daughter.

Origin and family

Neferetkaus was probably a daughter of Pharaoh Unas, the ninth and last ruler of the 5th dynasty. However, this is only suggested by the position of her grave. Unas had two royal wives : Nebet and Chenut . Which of the two was the mother of the Neferetkaus is unknown. Several possible siblings or half-siblings of Neferetkaus are known: Her brother Unasanch and another brother, whose name has not been passed down, as well as her sisters Chentkaus , Hemetre Hemi , Iput I (the later wife of Pharaoh Teti ), Seschseschet Idut and possibly Neferut .

Neferetkaus was married to the vizier Mehu . He had a second wife named Nebet, who bore the title of an acquaintance of the king. Several sons are named in the grave of Mehu, including a Mery and Anchmeryre / Hetepka I, who also held the office of vizier after his father. However, it is unclear which sons of Mehu Neferetkaus and which Nebet are to be assigned.

tomb

Neferetkaus was buried in her husband's mastaba near the Unas pyramid in Saqqara . This tomb has five richly decorated rooms and a courtyard.

literature

Hartwig Altenmüller : The wall representations in the grave of Mehu in Saqqara (= archaeological publications. Volume 42). von Zabern, Mainz 1998, ISBN 3-8053-0504-4 .
Michel Baud : Famille royale et pouvoir sous l'Ancien Empire égyptien. Tome 2 (= Bibliothèque d'Étude. Volume 126/2). Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale, Cairo 1999, ISBN 2-7247-0250-6 , pp. 496–498 ( PDF; 16.7 MB ).
Aidan Dodson , Dyan Hilton: The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt . The American University in Cairo Press, London 2004, ISBN 977-424-878-3 , pp. 62-69.
Bertha Porter , Rosalind LB Moss , Ethel W. Burney: Topographical Bibliography of Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts, Reliefs, and Paintings. Volume III: Memphis. Part 2: Ṣaqqâra to Dahshûr. 2nd edition, revised and expanded by Jaromír Málek . Griffith Institute / Ashmolean Museum , Oxford 1981, ISBN 0-900416-23-8 , pp. 619–622, map LXI, plan LXIII ( PDF; 33.5 MB ); Retrieved from The Digital Topographical Bibliography .

Individual evidence

↑ Hartwig Altenmüller: The wall representations in the grave of Mehu in Saqqara. 1998, pp. 78-79.

personal data
SURNAME	Neferetkaus Iku
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Neferkaus Iku
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Princess of the ancient Egyptian 5th dynasty
DATE OF BIRTH	25th century BC BC or 24th century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH	24th century BC Chr.

[1] Hartwig Altenmüller: The wall representations in the grave of Mehu in Saqqara. 1998, pp. 78-79.