Neferu II was the wife and sister of the ancient Egyptian king Mentuhotep II who ruled in the 11th Dynasty, around 2000 BC.

Neferu II
King's wife; King's daughter
Funerary figurine of Neferu made from wax, from TT319. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Burial
SpouseMentuhotep II
Egyptian name
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Dynasty11th Dynasty
FatherIntef III
MotherIah
Relief of a woman carrying a sunshade, found in Neferu's tomb TT319. Walters Art Museum.

Neferu is mainly known from her tomb (TT319) at Deir el-Bahari. The tomb was found badly destroyed but the decorated burial chamber was well preserved and many fragments from the reliefs in the tomb chapel were found. Her main titles were king's wife and king's daughter.[1] The inscriptions in the tomb mention that she was the daughter of a person called Iah,[2] most likely the king's mother Iah who was the mother of king Mentuhotep II. She was therefore his sister. It is known that Mentuhotep II was the son of king Intef III who was most likely the father of Neferu.

References edit

  1. ^ Wolfram Grajetzki: Ancient Egyptian Queens, a hieroglyphic dictionary, Golden House P. London, 2005, p. 28
  2. ^ William C. Hayes: The Scepter of Egypt I, New York 1953, ISBN 0870991906, p. 160; 327

Literature edit

  • Joyce Tyldesley: Chronicle of the Queens of Egypt. Thames & Hudson. 2006, ISBN 0-500-05145-3, p. 67.