Djefatnebti (also Djefatnebty) was an ancient Egyptian queen consort. She lived at the end of the

3rd Dynasty The Third Dynasty of ancient Egypt (Dynasty III) is the first dynasty of the Old Kingdom of Egypt, Old Kingdom. Other dynasties of the Old Kingdom include the Fourth Dynasty of Egypt, Fourth, Fifth Dynasty of Egypt, Fifth and Sixth Dynasty of ...

and may have been a wife of the last king of that dynasty,

Huni Huni (original reading unknown) was an ancient Egyptian king and the last pharaoh of the Third Dynasty of Egypt during the Old Kingdom period. Following the Turin king list, he is commonly credited with a reign of 24 years, ending c. 2613 ...

.Francesco Raffaele
Royal Women (queens, princesses) in early Egypt (Dynasty 0–3)
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Identity

Djefatnebti’s name appears in one single, black

ink Ink is a gel, sol, or solution that contains at least one colorant, such as a dye or pigment, and is used to color a surface to produce an image, text, or design. Ink is used for drawing or writing with a pen, brush, reed pen, or quill. Thi ...

inscription on an earthen beer jar, which was excavated at the eastern corner of

Elephantine Elephantine ( ; ; arz, جزيرة الفنتين; el, Ἐλεφαντίνη ''Elephantíne''; , ) is an island on the Nile, forming part of the city of Aswan in Upper Egypt. The archaeological sites on the island were inscribed on the UNESCO ...

. Altogether three inscriptions were found. The first one mentions the "year of the followers of

Horus Horus or Heru, Hor, Har in Ancient Egyptian, is one of the most significant ancient Egyptian deities who served many functions, most notably as god of kingship and the sky. He was worshipped from at least the late prehistoric Egypt until the P ...

" and the foundation of a building which name is lost due to damage. The second one mentions the "year of the 2nd time of the followers of Horus" and an "11th time of counting-the-fields at Heliopolis". The third one contains the notation "The king of Upper- and Lower Egypt appears", a "3rd time of battling the robbers" and the death of Djefatnebti. Since the "counting of the fields" was performed as a

tax collection A revenue service, revenue agency or taxation authority is a government agency responsible for the intake of government revenue, including taxes and sometimes non-tax revenue. Depending on the jurisdiction, revenue services may be charged with ...

every second year, the one beer jar inscription dates into the 22nd year of rulership of the unnamed king. The death of Djefatnebti might therefore have occurred shortly before or shortly after the creation of the inscription.Silke Roth: ''Die Königsmütter des Alten Ägypten von der Frühzeit bis zum Ende der 12. Dynastie'', Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 2001, , p. 385.Günter Dreyer: ''Drei archaisch-hieratische Gefässaufschriften mit Jahresnamen aus Elephantine.'' In: G. Dreyer, J. Osing (Hrsg.): ''Form und Maß - Beiträge zur Literatur, Sprache und Kunst des Alten Ägypten.'' (= Festschrift G. Fecht). Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 1987, p. 98-109.

Datation

The inscription assigns to Djefatnebti the female title "Weret-hetes" (meaning "the great one of the Hetes sceptre"), which was a common title for queens of the Old Kingdom period. Thus it is at least secure that Djefatnebti was a queen of the late 3rd dynasty. Egyptologist

Günter Dreyer Günter Dreyer (5 October 1943 – 12 March 2019) was an Egyptologist at the German Archaeological Institute. In southern Egypt, Dreyer discovered records of linen and oil deliveries which have been carbon-dated to between 3300 BCE and 3200 BCE, ...

is convinced, that Djefatnebti was married to Huni, since no other king of the 3rd dynasty is proven to have ruled longer than 22 years. His theory is not commonly accepted, though, because the ink inscription doesn't mention Huni by name.

Tomb

Djefatnebti's burial is unknown.

References

{{Queens of Ancient Egypt 27th-century BC women Queens consort of the Third Dynasty of Egypt