The Pyramid of Khentkaues II

On the south side of the pyramid of Neferirkare at Abusir is a small structure that has been clearly established as belonging to the consort of Neferirkare, Khentkaues II.

Queen Khentkaues was married to Neferirkare and the mother of Neferefre and Niuserre.

Inscriptions indicate that her complex was started during the reign of her husband, Neferirkare, and finished during the reign of her son, Niuserre. Niuserre was perhaps underage when he ascended the throne, and if so, Khentkaues probably acted as his regent, effectively, as ruler of Egypt.

The pyramid is mostly in ruins. Measuring four meters high it was of a simple design built using the discarded limestone from the Neferirkare pyramid. The core is of three layers, bound with mortar made of clay. The casing was high quality white limestone, and it once had a dark gray granite pyramidion, of which fragments have been found.

There were small remains of the queens funerary equipment found within the pyramid, including fragments from her pink granite sarcophagus, bits of her mummy wrappings and some shards from stone vessels. Markings on these clearly demonstrated that they belonged to Khentkaues II.