Tem (queen)

Tem was the wife of the ancient Egyptian king of the 11th dynasty Mentuhotep II and mother of his successor Mentuhotep III.

Tem is considered among the seven known women Mentuhotep II as his main wife. It is simply out of their grave ( Naville 15) at Deir el- Bahari, the mortuary temple of Mentuhotep II known. In addition, it is still occupied on a fragment of a sacrificial plate for their cult of the dead from the same temple.

In the grave, more specifically on their sarcophagus, and on the sacrificial plate carries many titles, including that of a king consort and queen mother, also in a new - and later rarely used form - as the "Mother of the King of Upper and Lower Egypt " and " wife of the king of Upper and lower Egypt. " The no longer existing inscription of the sarcophagus shows that temperature survived her husband and was buried by her son.

The grave was discovered in 1859 ( excavation on behalf of Lord Dufferin ) and later (the last time in 1968 on behalf of the DAI) been investigated several times. Today the grave serves as a magazine, the grave entrance is inaccessible, buried there.