Alternative History
Khentkaus I the Regent
KTK I
Pharaoh of Egypt
Reign 15 January 2504 - 1 February 2503
Predecessor Djedefptah I
Successor Userkaf I
Born November 20, 2550(2550-11-20) B.C.
Mennefer, Egypt
Died September 13, 2480(2480-09-13) B.C. (aged 69)
Spouse Shepseskaf I, Userkaf I
Issue Djedefptah I, Khentkaus II
Full name
Horus Name: Usertawy
Nebty Name: Nebettawy
Golden Horus Name: Sekhemwy
Praenomen: Usertawy
Nomen: Khentkaus
House Khasekhemwy
Dynasty Sneferian Dynasty
Father Menkaura I
Mother Rekhetra
Religion Kemetism

Khentkaus I, also known as Khentkawes, was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the ninth and final ruler of the Fourth Dynasty during the Old Kingdom period. However, she is not typically counted as a member of this dynasty due to her later marriage to Userkaf, the founder of the Fifth Dynasty. Khentkaus I ruled for a brief period in the late 26th century BC.

Khentkaus I ascended to the throne following the death of her son, Djedefptah, who died unmarried and without an heir. This made her the first female monarch to rule alone in her own right in Egyptian history. She served as a transitional ruler between the unexpected death of her son and the eventual accession of Userkaf as king. Upon Userkaf's accession, Khentkaus I abdicated the throne and married him.

Despite stepping down from power, Khentkaus I continued to play a significant role in the political landscape of Egypt. After Userkaf's death, she ensured that her daughter, Khentkaus II, was married into the new royal line. Khentkaus II became the wife of Userkaf's grandson, further solidifying Khentkaus I's influence on the crown.

Life[]

Early Life and the end of the Fourth Dynasty[]

Khentkaus I was born on November 20, 2550 BC, during the reign of her grandfather, Pharaoh Khafra. She was the daughter of Pharaoh Menkaura and Queen Rekhetra. Menkaura ascended to the throne in 2539 BC after being elected as Pharaoh. Following his accession, it was decided that Khentkaus should marry her brother, Shepseskaf. However, the marriage was postponed until an appropriate date, and it finally took place in late 2528 BC. Khentkaus and Shepseskaf had two children: Djedefptah I, born in 2525 BC, and Khentkaus II, born in 2521 BC. Both of her children would eventually rule Egypt in their own right. In 2514 BC, Menkaura passed away, and Shepseskaf became Pharaoh. Khentkaus remained by her brother-husband's side, playing a significant role in maintaining the peace between the crown and the powerful priesthood of Ra during his reign. During this period, she became acquainted with her cousin Userkaf, who would later become one of her key allies at court.

Shepseskaf died on May 3, 2506 BC, and their son, Djedefptah I, ascended to the throne. As Queen Mother, Khentkaus became the main counselor to the young king and the most influential figure in the kingdom. She was instrumental in the appointment of Userkaf as the new High Priest of Ra following the death of the previous High Priest under mysterious circumstances. It is widely speculated that Khentkaus or someone acting on her behalf was involved in the High Priest's death, with the official Seshathotep Heti, who would later become Vizier of Egypt, being the prime suspect.

Khentkaus continued to accumulate power until the unexpected death of her son, Djedefptah I, on January 15, 2504 BC, at the age of 20. His death, which was due to illness, left Egypt in a precarious position, as he was unmarried and without an heir. A succession crisis loomed, with the threat of civil war becoming increasingly likely. Acting swiftly, Khentkaus consulted the Council of State and proclaimed herself the new ruler of Egypt, with the provision that she would govern until a suitable successor could be found.

The issue of succession dominated her reign, the claims of 18 princes were considered, with those of Prince Sekhemkara and High Priest Userkaf being particularly strong. In September 2504 BC, the final claimants were put to a vote, which resulted in a tie. As the designated tie-breaker, Khentkaus cast the deciding vote in favor of Userkaf, who was then elected as the new Pharaoh. Khentkaus announced her intention to abdicate and marry Userkaf once he was ready to succeed her. She married Userkaf in November 2504 BC, and on February 1, 2503 BC, Khentkaus abdicated, allowing Userkaf to ascend to the throne at the age of 52.

Reign of Userkaf and Later Reigns[]

As their marriage took place when both were in advanced age, there was little hope of children. Consequently, Prince Sahura remained the heir to the throne. Recognizing the importance of securing the royal line, Queen Khentkaus I decided to marry her daughter, Khentkaus II, into the new royal family. Initially, she considered Sahura as a potential match, but this option was discarded due to his age and the fact that he was already married. The queen ultimately chose Prince Ranefer as a suitable husband for Khentkaus II, despite the significant age gap between them. The marriage was planned to take place when Ranefer reached the age of 18 in 2494 BC.

In late 2498 BC, Seshathotep Heti, the Vizier of Egypt, passed away. Queen Khentkaus I suggested appointing Prince Sekhemkara, a former contender for the throne, as the new vizier. This proposal was supported by Crown Prince Sahura, and Sekhemkara was appointed vizier in October of that year. King Userkaf died in 2496 BC at the age of 58, and Sahura ascended to the throne as Pharaoh Sahura I. The new king highly valued the counsel of his stepmother, Khentkaus I, and retained her as one of his closest advisors. Sahura's reign, which lasted for 13 years, was marked by peace and stability. In 2494 BC, the marriage between Ranefer and Khentkaus II finally took place, and two years later, in 2492 BC, Khentkaus I welcomed her first grandchild, a son also named Ranefer. Queen Khentkaus I remained a constant presence at court, continuing to influence the kingdom's affairs through her wise counsel. When King Sahura died in 2483 BC at the age of 53, Khentkaus I had the satisfaction of witnessing her daughter become queen. She had retired from public life in 2487 BC, spending her final years in relative seclusion. On September 13, 2480 BC, Queen Khentkaus I passed away at the age of 69.

Tomb[]

Khentkaus was buried in Akhet Nesu. Her tomb is known as LG 100 and G 8400 and is located in the Central Field that is part of the Akhet Nesu Necropolis. The pyramid complex of Khentkaus includes her pyramid, a boat pit, a valley temple, and a pyramid town.

The pyramid complex of Khentkaus I[]

Khentkawes I mastaba

Tomb of Khentkaus I

The pyramid complex of Khentkaus consists of the pyramid, a chapel, a solar boat, the pyramid city, a water tank, and granaries. The pyramid originally was described in the nineteenth century as an unfinished pyramid and it had been conjectured that it belonged to king Shepseskaf. The pyramid was excavated by Senedj Haty Usermontu starting in 1932. The tomb was given the number LG 100 by Lepsius.

The chapel consisted of a main hall and an inner chapel. A passage cut in the floor of the inner chapel leads to the burial chamber. The floor of the chapel was covered in Troyu limestone. The walls were covered in relief, but the scenes are very badly damaged. Relief fragments were found in the debris when the tomb was excavated by Senedj Haty Usermontu. The passage to the burial chamber and the chamber itself were lined with red granite. The passageway is 5.6 m long and descends below the main structure of the pyramid. The burial chamber is large and most closely resembles the burial chamber of king Shepseskaf in Mekhat Tawy.

The burial chamber possibly housed an alabaster sarcophagus; many pieces were found in the sand and debris that filled the chamber. The chamber also contained a small scarab made of a brown limestone. Its craftsmanship appears to connect the scarab to the Twelfth Dynasty. The presence of the scarab leads some to believe that her tomb was reused for later burials.

Her solar boat is located to the southwest of the pyramid. A pit measuring some 30.25 m long and 4.25 m deep was cut into the rock. The prow and stern of the boat were upraised and the boat appears to have had a roof. It may represent the night-boat of the sun-god Ra. If so, there may be an accompanying day-boat, yet to be found.

Immediately to the east of the pyramid lies a pyramid city. The city is laid out along several streets that divide the city into groups of houses. These houses had their own magazines and granaries. The city was constructed from unbaked mud-brick, and surfaces were covered in a yellow plaster. The city was probably the home of the priests and servants of the pyramid complex. The pyramid city was constructed toward the end of the Fourth Dynasty or beginning of the Fifth Dynasty and seems to have been functioning well into the Sixth Dynasty.

The valley temple of Khentkaus I[]

A causeway connects the pyramid chapel to the valley temple of Khentkaus. The temple lies close to the valley temple of Menkaura, which suggests a close relationship between Khentkaus and Menkaura. In front of the temple a small structure referred to as the "washing tent" of Khentkaus was discovered. This structure was the location where her body would have been taken to be purified before being embalmed. The debris filling this chamber contained many fragments of stone vessels, potsherds, and flint instruments. The floor is the opening of a limestone drain which runs downward under the ground for a distance of 7–20 m., emptying into a large, rectangular basin. The drain is covered by arched sections of the same material, the whole forming an almost circular stone pipe. Although by no means the oldest subterranean water-channel known in Egyptian funerary architecture, according to Hassan, it is the earliest of this particular type and construction.

The valley temples of Khentkaus and Menkaura were both partially constructed of mud-brick and finished with white limestone and alabaster. The main entrance is located on the northern side, which is a departure from the more common situation where the main entrance is located to the east. Entering the valley temple from the main entrance, one would walk up a “wide brick-paved causeway which runs up from the valley in a westerly direction.” The doorway was embellished with a portico held up by two columns. Once one enters the doorway, “The doorway opens into a vestibule, the roof of which was supported upon four columns. Near the doorway a statue of king Khafra (father of Menkaura) once stood. Remains of a statue of a king (possibly Khafra) and the body of a sphinx statue were found in the vestibule of the temple. The vestibule opens up to a court which in turn led to the magazines."