Queen Khentkawes

The following is a DW Ancient Egypt production. Shepsiskeph's half-sister Kent Kawez chose to have a similar style monument, which she built hers back in Giza. Her mastaba is believed to be the last royal tomb that was constructed at the necropolis. Her tomb is a large two-stepped structure which was initially thought to have been an unfinished pyramid which was ascribed to Shepsiskeph. It was referred to by some as the fourth pyramid of Giza. Egyptologist Carl Lepsius, however, considered it to be a private tomb and gave it the designation LG100. When it was excavated in 1932 by Hasan, it became clear that it belonged to Queen Kent Kawez I. Entry to the tomb was by a massive pink granite doorway in the southeast decorated with the name and titles of Kent Kawez. The underground part of the tomb resembled the layout of Mint Qadri's pyramid and also bore some similarities to the Mastaba el-Faraon of Shepsiskeph. It consisted of a large antechamber, six small magazines, and the burial chamber which was lined with pink granite. Other than some small fragments of alabaster, possibly from the sarcophagus, no trace of the queen's burial remained. A small brown limestone scarab, dated tentatively to the 12th dynasty during the Middle Kingdom, was found here, prompting the speculation that the tomb was used for later burials. The second step was not part of the original building. It seems to have been added at the beginning of the 5th dynasty, possibly in recognition of a change in status of the queen. The limestone step was not placed directly over the center of the tomb as its weight would probably have damaged the substructure, but instead it's offset to the east. The outer walls were clad in fine white limestone and a perimeter wall of whitewashed plaster was placed around the To the east of the pyramid lies one of the oldest planned settlements in Egypt. The Pyramid Town was arranged along the causeway which connected the pyramid and the valley temple and provided housing for the priests and workers who ran her mortuary cult. The houses were constructed from unbaked mud brick decorated with yellow plaster and had their own granaries and storerooms. The city was probably the home of the priests and servants of the pyramid complex. The southern extension comprised of a large structure which could either be the house of an overseer or possibly even a dummy palace. Constructed towards the end of the 4th dynasty or the early 5th dynasty, there is evidence that it was a thriving settlement well into the 6th dynasty. The valley temple lies due south of the southern extension and merges into the valley temple of Menkaure. Its proximity to the tomb of Menkaure is one of the reasons that many consider him to be her father. By occupying this site at the edge of the wadi, which provided access to the Giza plateau, Kent Kawez seems to have made herself the symbolic gatekeeper of the Giza necropolis. Queen Kent Kawez married Usserkov, who would take Egypt into a new direction during the rise of the 5th dynasty. Thank you for joining us.