| Herneith | |
|---|---|
| Queen consort of Egypt | |
| Full name | Herneith |
| Buried | Possibly Tomb 3507 in Saqqara |
| Consort | Pharaoh Djer or Anedjib |
| Dynasty | 1st dynasty of Egypt |
| Religious beliefs | Ancient Egyptian religion |
| Herneith [1] in hieroglyphs |
|---|
Herneith was a Queen consort of ancient Egypt. She lived during the 1st dynasty.
It is not known who Herneith's parents were. She is thought to be a queen of Djer but there is no conclusive evidence. Tyldesley suggests Herneith as a possible mother of Den, but it is more commonly thought that Merneith was his mother.[2][3]
Grajetzki mentions that even though Herneith is known from her tomb in Saqqara and her name is found together with signs that may refer to her role as a queen, confidently interpreting this information has proven difficult. If the interpretations are correct, Herneith may have held the titles of "The First One" and "Consort of the Two Lords".[4]
A large tomb in Saqqara (tomb S3507) is thought to belong to Herneith. Inscriptions on vases found in the tomb mention King Djer, King Den and King Qa'a. The tomb is a mudbrick mastaba. However, a pyramid-like mound was found within the structure, covered with brick. This combination of mastaba and grave mound represents a combination of Northern (mastaba) and Southern (grave mound) tomb architecture.[3]