Meresankh IV

Meresankh IV
Stela showing Meresankh IV, from her tomb in Saqqara^[1]
Resting place	tomb 82 in Saqqara
Spouse(s)	uncertain, Menkauhor Kaiu or Djedkare Isesi
Children	highly uncertain, possibly Raemka, Kaemtjenent and Isesi-ankh

Meresankh IV was a queen of Egypt in the 5th Dynasty. Her name means "she loves life". While some sources consider that her husband is unknown,^[2] other sources suggest her husband was Pharaoh Menkauhor Kaiu.^[3]^[4] It is also possible that Meresankh was the wife of Djedkare Isesi.^[5]

Meresankh IV may have had sons: Raemka and Kaemtjenent. The family relationship between Meresankh and Raemka and Kaemtjenent is based on the general dating of their monuments, mastabas in Saqqara. It is possible that Kaemtjenent may have been a son of Djedkare Isesi rather than Menkauhor Kaiu.^[3]

Meresankh IV
in hieroglyphs

The titles of Meresankh IV were: Great one of the hetes-sceptre, King’s Wife, Great of Praises, She who sees Horus and Seth, Priestess of Thoth, Priestess of Tjazepef, Directress of the butchers in the acacia house, Attendant of Horus, Companion of Horus, Consort of the beloved of the Two Ladies, Companion of Horus.^[2]

She was buried in tomb 82 in Saqqara^[2]^[3] – tomb D5 in Mariette's Mastaba. The tomb only had one chamber and there were no inscriptions on the walls. The text recording Meresankh comes from a stela found in the tomb along with a serdab.^[1]

Sources

^ ^a ^b Mariette, Auguste. Les Mastabas de l'Ancien Empire. Publiés d'après le manuscrit de l'auteur par Gaston Maspero. Paris: F. Vieweg, 1889.
^ ^a ^b ^c Grajetzki, Ancient Egyptian Queens: A Hieroglyphic Dictionary, Golden House Publications, London, 2005, ISBN 978-0-9547218-9-3
^ ^a ^b ^c Dodson, Aidan and Hilton, Dyan. The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson. 2004. ISBN 0-500-05128-3
^ Joyce Tyldesley, Chronicle of the Queens of Egypt, Thames and Hudson, 2006
^ Cambridge Ancient History Volume 1 Part 2, 2008

Queens of Ancient Egypt

Protodynastic Period to First Intermediate Period (<3150–2040 BC)

Period

Dynasty	Pharaoh uncertain

Early Dynastic
(3150–2686 BC)

I	Neithhotep Benerib Khenthap Herneith Nakhtneith Penebui Merneith Seshemetka Semat Serethor Betrest
II	Menka Nimaathap

Old Kingdom
(2686–2181 BC)

III	Hetephernebti Djeseretnebti Djefatnebti Meresankh I
IV	Hetepheres I Meritites I Henutsen Khentetka Meresankh II Hetepheres II Meresankh III Khamerernebty I Persenet Hekenuhedjet Khamerernebty II Rekhetre Bunefer
V	Khentkaus I Neferhetepes Meretnebty Khentkaus II Khentkaus III Reptynub Khuit I Meresankh IV Setibhor Nebet Khenut Nimaethap II
VI	Iput I Khuit II Ankhesenpepi I Ankhesenpepi II Nubwenet Meritites IV Inenek-Inti Nedjeftet Neith Iput II Udjebten Ankhesenpepi III Ankhesenpepi IV Nitocris

Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Period (2040–1550 BC)

Period

Dynasty	Pharaoh uncertain

Middle Kingdom
(2040–1802 BC)

XI	Neferu I Neferukayet Iah Tem Neferu II Ashayet Henhenet Sadeh Kawit Kemsit
XII	Neferitatjenen Neferu III Keminub Senet Khenemetneferhedjet I Nofret II Khenmet Khenemetneferhedjet II Neferthenut Meretseger Aat Khenemetneferhedjet III Sobekneferu

2^nd Intermediate
(1802–1550 BC)

XIII	Nofret Nubhetepti Senebhenas Neni Senebsen Tjan Ineni Nubkhaes Aya Abetni Satsobek
XIV	Tati
XVI	Mentuhotep
XVII	Nubemhat Sobekemsaf Haankhes Tetisheri Ahhotep I Ahmose Inhapy Sitdjehuti Ahhotep II

New Kingdom and Third Intermediate Period (1550–664 BC)

Period

Dynasty	Pharaoh uncertain

New Kingdom
(1550–1070 BC)

XVIII	Ahmose-Nefertari Ahmose-Sitkamose Ahmose-Henuttamehu Ahmose-Meritamun Ahmose Mutnofret Hatshepsut Iset Satiah Merytre-Hatshepsut Nebtu Menhet, Menwi and Merti Nebsemi Tiaa Nefertari Iaret Mutemwiya Tiye Gilukhipa Sitamun Iset Tadukhipa / Kiya Nefertiti Meritaten Neferneferuaten Ankhesenamun Tey Mutnedjmet Nebetnehat
XIX	Sitre Tuya Tanedjemet Nefertari Isetnofret Henutmire Maathorneferure Meritamen Bintanath Nebettawy Merytre Isetnofret II Takhat Twosret Tiaa Anuketemheb
XX	Tiy-Merenese Iset Ta-Hemdjert Tyti Tiye Duatentopet Henutwati Tawerettenru Nubkhesbed Baketwernel Tentamun

3^rd Intermediate
(1069–664 BC)

XXI	Tentamun Mutnedjmet Karimala
XXII	Karomama Penreshnes Maatkare Tashedkhonsu Nesitaudjatakhet Nesitanebetashru Kapes Karomama I Tadibast III
XXIII	Karomama II
XXV	Pebatjma Tabiry Abar Khensa Peksater Arty Qalhata Tabekenamun Takahatenamun Naparaye Atakhebasken Malaqaye

Late Period and Hellenistic Period (664–30 BC)

Period

Dynasty	Pharaoh uncertain

Late
(664–332 BC)

XXVI	Mehytenweskhet Khedebneithirbinet I Takhuit Tentkheta Nakhtubasterau Ladice
XXVII	Atossa Artystone Parmys Amestris Damaspia Parysatis
XXXI	Stateira I

Hellenistic
(332–30 BC)

Argead	Roxana Stateira II Parysatis II Eurydice II of Macedon
Ptolemaic	Eurydice Berenice I Arsinoe I Arsinoe II Berenice II Arsinoe III Cleopatra I Syra Cleopatra II Cleopatra III Cleopatra IV Cleopatra Selene Berenice III Cleopatra V Cleopatra VI Berenice IV Cleopatra VII Arsinoe IV