Tomb of Khufukhaf I

The mastaba tomb of Khufukhaf I is located in the Eastern Cemetery of the complex of the Great Pyramid of king Khufu (c.2589–2566 BC) at Giza. This cemetery was reserved for the closest relatives of the king, and contains some of the largest mastabas on the Giza Plateau. The term mastaba (Arabic for “bench”) refers to a type of funerary structure that was generally rectangular in shape and built over the tomb proper, which was underground. The mastaba of Khufukhaf I includes two burial shafts, one for him, and another for his wife, Neferetkau.

The chapel of Khufukhaf I, inside the mastaba, where his funerary cult was conducted, is very well preserved. Many beautiful scenes survive that show him and his wife receiving a wide variety of offerings, which they would both need in the afterlife.

A scene in the chapel depicts him holding his mother’s hand. The hieroglyphic inscriptions beside her reveal that she was the mother of a king, but her name is missing. It is thought that this is Henutsen, one of Khufu’s wives, who is believed to have been buried in one of the three queens’ pyramids next-door. The inscriptions in Khufukhaf I’s mastaba also identify him as a vizier, the highest-ranking official in ancient Egyptian administration. As a vizier and the son of a queen, there is no doubt that Khufukhaf I was one of the most powerful people in the kingdom during his lifetime.