Inside view of Queen Hetepheres Pyramid (photo)

There is no direct evidence telling us the names of the queens buried inside these pyramids, but there are many suggestions and opinions about attributing the pyramids of the queens, all on the basis of secondary evidence. Some scholars believe that this pyramid was originally built for Queen Hetepheres, the mother of King Khufu. According to Mark Lehner’s theory, Khufu planned to build a ritual pyramid north of GI-a, but he gave up that idea as a result of the change in the plan of the eastern cemetery. Accordingly, Khufu used GI-a as a cult pyramid, and removed the chamber that resided on the eastern side. But after the discovery of Khufu’s cult pyramid, this theory was proven to be incorrect. An alternative theory that could be proposed, and that deals with these points, is that Hetepheres was originally buried in GI-a or GI-b (more probably GI-a) and then moved to G7000x, which represents a pre-existing cutting from the 2nd or 3rd Dynasty, either at the end of the Old Kingdom or during the First Intermediate Period. There is much evidence that a good deal of Khufu's complex was destroyed during this time, and it is possible that the mortuary service responsible for Khufu’s funerary cult moved Hetepheres' burial site in order to hide it from pillagers. Vandals looking for jewels in the wrapping may have removed the body from its original burial place. This theory takes into account George Reisner's observations, which suggest that the objects in the tomb are in reverse order from their original positions. A reversal of this sort is reasonable to expect if the equipment was moved over a short distance, such as that from GI-a to G7000x, but not if it was moved from Dahshur to Giza.