Sithathoriunet () was an ancient Egyptian ''sꜣt-nsw'' or 'king's daughter' of the

Twelfth Dynasty The Twelfth Dynasty of ancient Egypt (Dynasty XII) is a series of rulers reigning from 1991–1802 BC (190 years), at what is often considered to be the apex of the Middle Kingdom (Dynasties XI–XIV). The dynasty periodically expanded its terr ...

, mainly known from her

burial Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...

El Lahun El Lahun ( ''El Lāhūn,'' alt. Illahun, Lahun, or Kahun, (the latter being a neologism coined by archaeologist William Matthew Flinders Petrie) is a town and pyramid complex in Faiyum, Egypt founded by Senusret II. The Pyramid of Senusret II ...

in which a treasure trove of jewellery was found., p.99 She was possibly a daughter of

Senusret II Senusret II or Sesostris II was the fourth pharaoh of the Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt. His pyramid was constructed at El-Lahun. Senusret II took a great deal of interest in the Faiyum oasis region and began work on an extensive irrigation system fro ...

since her burial site was found next to the pyramid of this king. This would make her one of five known children and one of three daughters of Senusret II, alongside

Senusret III Khakaure Senusret III (also written as Senwosret III or the hellenised form, Sesostris III) was a pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, Egypt. He ruled from 1878 BC to 1839 BC during a time of great power and prosperity, and was the fifth king of the Twelfth ...

, Senusretseneb,

Itakayt Itakayt was an ancient Egyptian princess and queen of the 12th Dynasty, around 1800 BC. She is mainly known from her small pyramid next to the one of Senusret III at Dahshur.Dieter Arnold: ''The Pyramid Complex of Senwosret III at Dahshur, Archite ...

and Nofret. She bore the title king's wife, and was probably the wife of

. Sithathoriunet was buried in the El Lahun pyramid complex. She must have died while

Amenemhat III :''See Amenemhat, for other individuals with this name.'' Amenemhat III (Ancient Egyptian: ''Ỉmn-m-hꜣt'' meaning 'Amun is at the forefront'), also known as Amenemhet III, was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the sixth king of the Twelfth Dyn ...

was pharaoh, since objects bearing his name were found in her tomb. Her name and titles survived on her

canopic jar Canopic jars are funerary vessels that were used by the Ancient Egypt, ancient Egyptians to house embalmed organs that were removed during the mummification process. They also served to store and preserve the viscera of their soul for the afterl ...

s and on an alabaster vessel found in her tomb. The tomb was excavated in 1914 by

Flinders Petrie Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie ( – ), commonly known as simply Sir Flinders Petrie, was an English people, English Egyptology, Egyptologist and a pioneer of systematic methodology in archaeology and the preservation of artefacts. ...

and

Guy Brunton Guy Brunton (1878 – 17 October 1948) was an English archaeologist and Egyptologist who discovered the Badarian predynastic culture. Biography At the age of 18, he moved to South Africa. On 28 April 1906, he married Winifred Newberry, a me ...

. It had previously been robbed in antiquity but a niche in the burial site escaped the looters' attention. In this niche remains were found of several boxes filled with jewellery and cosmetic objects, such as razors, a mirror and vases. The discovered jewellery is considered to be among the highest quality ever found in an ancient Egyptian tomb.Cyril Aldred: ''Jewels of the Pharaohs, Egyptian Jewellery of Dynastic Period'', London 1971 , p. 192 These finds included two

pectoral Pectoral may refer to: * The chest region and anything relating to it. * Pectoral cross, a cross worn on the chest * a decorative, usually jeweled version of a gorget * Pectoral (Ancient Egypt), a type of jewelry worn in ancient Egypt * Pectora ...

s, one with the praenomen of Senusret II, and the other with the name of

, a crown and bracelets inscribed with the praenomen of Amenemhat III. The majority of the objects are ''

cloisonné Cloisonné () is an ancient technology, ancient technique for decorating metalwork objects with colored material held in place or separated by metal strips or wire, normally of gold. In recent centuries, vitreous enamel has been used, but inla ...

'' gold inlaid with precious stones. The majority of the finds are located in the

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an Encyclopedic museum, encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the List of largest museums, third-largest museum in the world and the List of larg ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, although the crown and the pectoral of Amenemhat III are in the

Egyptian Museum The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, commonly known as the Egyptian Museum (, Egyptian Arabic: ) (also called the Cairo Museum), located in Cairo, Egypt, houses the largest collection of Ancient Egypt, Egyptian antiquities in the world. It hou ...

Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...

Gallery

Crown of Sit-Hathor Yunet (Senusret II's daughter).jpg, Crown of Sithathoriunet,

in Cairo Broad Bracelet of Sithathoryunet MET DP348620.jpg, Bracelet of Sithathoriunet, The Met in New York City Cowrie Shell Girdle, Lion Bracelets, Bracelets with the Name of Amenemhat III, and Anklets of Princess Sithathoryunet MET DP348612.jpg, Cowrie shell girdle, lion bracelets, bracelets with the name of Amenemhat III, and anklets of Princess Sithathoriunet, The Met Inlaid box for cosmetic vessels of Sithathoryunet MET DP311778.jpg, Box for cosmetic vessels of Sithathoriunet, The Met Uraeus and Hathor mirror of Sithathoriunet.jpg, Silver mirror of Sithathoriunet Motto Clasp of Sithathoryunet MET 16.1.18 front.jpeg,

Ankh The ankh or key of life is an ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic symbol used to represent the word for "life" and, by extension, as a symbol of life itself. The ankh has a T-shape topped by a droplet-shaped loop. It was used in writing as a tri ...

shaped clasp of Sithathoriunet Ring of Sithathoryunet MET 16.1.24 top.jpeg, Ring of Sithathoriunet Pectoral and Necklace of Sithathoryunet with the Name of Senwosret II MET DT531.jpg, Pectoral and necklace of Princess Sithathoriunet; circa 1887–1813 BC; gold,

carnelian Carnelian (also spelled cornelian) is a brownish-red mineral commonly used as a semiprecious stone. Similar to carnelian is sard, which is generally harder and darker; the difference is not rigidly defined, and the two names are often used int ...

lapis lazuli Lapis lazuli (; ), or lapis for short, is a deep-blue metamorphic rock used as a semi-precious stone that has been prized since antiquity for its intense color. Originating from the Persian word for the gem, ''lāžward'', lapis lazuli is ...

turquoise Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminium, with the chemical formula . It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gemstone for millennia due to its hue. The robi ...

garnet Garnets () are a group of silicate minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and abrasives. Garnet minerals, while sharing similar physical and crystallographic properties, exhibit a wide range of chemical compositions, de ...

feldspar Feldspar ( ; sometimes spelled felspar) is a group of rock-forming aluminium tectosilicate minerals, also containing other cations such as sodium, calcium, potassium, or barium. The most common members of the feldspar group are the ''plagiocl ...

; height of the pectoral: 4.5 cm (1 in.); The Met Necklace of Sithathoryunet MET 16.1.4.jpeg, Necklace of Sithathoriunet Motto Clasp of Sithathoryunet MET 16.1.19 front.jpeg, Motto clasp of Sithathoriunet

References

Literature

*G. Brunton: ''Lahun I: The Treasure'' (BSAE 27 en ERA 20 (1914)), London 192
the book online
*H. E. Winlock: ''The Treasure of el Lahun'', New York 1973 {{DEFAULTSORT:Sithathoriunet Princesses of the Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt 19th-century BC Egyptian women