Sithathoriunet facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sithathoriunet
King's Daughter
Sithathoriunet as depicted on one of her canopic jars
Burial	tomb at the Pyramid of Senusret II
Dynasty	12th
Father	Senusret II
Religion	Ancient Egyptian religion

Sithathoriunet in hieroglyphs
Sithathoriunet S3t Ḥwt Ḥr Jwnt Daughter of Hathor of Dendera

Sithathoriunet was an ancient Egyptian princess. Her name means "daughter of Hathor of Dendera." She lived during the 12th Dynasty. She is mostly known because her tomb was found with an amazing collection of jewelry. This treasure is considered some of the best ever discovered from ancient Egypt.

She was probably the daughter of Senusret II, a powerful pharaoh. Her tomb was found right next to his pyramid. If she was his daughter, she would be one of his five known children. Her siblings included Senusret III, Senusretseneb, Itakayt, and Nofret.

Discovering a Royal Princess

This beautiful pectoral and necklace belonged to Princess Sithathoriunet. It was made around 1887–1813 BC from gold, carnelian, lapis lazuli, turquoise, garnet, and feldspar. It is now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

This cowrie shell girdle was also found in Sithathoriunet's tomb. It is displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Sithathoriunet was buried in the pyramid complex of Kahun. She likely died when Amenemhat III was the pharaoh. This is because objects with his name were found inside her tomb. Her name and royal titles were found on her canopic jars. They were also on an alabaster vessel discovered in her tomb.

The Tomb's Secrets

Her tomb was excavated in 1914. This work was done by famous archaeologists Flinders Petrie and Guy Brunton. The tomb had been robbed a long time ago. But one hidden spot in the burial area was missed by the looters.

In this secret spot, archaeologists found remains of several boxes. These boxes were filled with incredible jewelry. They also contained cosmetic items. These included razors, a mirror, and fancy vases.

The Amazing Treasure

The stunning crown of Sithathoriunet. It is now kept at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

The jewelry found in her tomb is considered some of the finest ever discovered. It shows the incredible skill of ancient Egyptian artists. Among the finds were two pectorals. A pectoral is a large, decorative chest ornament. One pectoral had the name of Pharaoh Senusret II. The other had the name of Pharaoh Amenemhat III.

There was also a beautiful crown. Several bracelets were found too. These bracelets were inscribed with the name of Amenemhat III. Most of these objects are made of gold. They have colorful inlays of precious stones. This technique is called cloisonné.

Today, most of these amazing finds are in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. However, the beautiful crown is kept at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

This silver mirror belonged to Princess Sithathoriunet.

Images for kids

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  Sithathoriunet as depicted on one of her canopic jars

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  Pectoral and necklace of Princess Sithathoriunet

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  Cowrie Shell Girdle of Sithathoriunet

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  Crown of Sithathoriunet

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  Silver mirror of Sithathoriunet