Shepseskaf in hieroglyphs

Shepseskaf was a son of Menkaure who succeded his father on the throne. Shepseskaf's name means "His Soul is Noble"^[1] He was likely the last Egyptian Pharaoh of the Fourth dynasty if he was not succeeded by a certain unknown ruler named Djedefptah as recorded in some Egyptian literature and, indirectly, by the Turin Canon. No ruler named Djedefptah is recorded in contemporary documents such as royal monuments or private tombs in the Old Kingdom cemetaries of Giza and Saqqara which date to this period.^[2] Palace officials who served in the interval between the 4th and 5th dynasties of Egypt such as the long-lived palace courtier Netry-nesut-pu explicitly lists this sequence of Old Kingdom kings under whom he served under in his tomb: Radjedef-->Khafre-->Menkaure-->Shepseskaf, and the first three 5th dynasty kings namely Userkaf, Sahure and Neferirkare.^[3] Finally, It has been suggested that Hieroglyph (French Wiki article) be merged into this article or section. ... copied from http://fi. ... copied from http://fi. ... Pharaoh was the ancient Egyptian name for the office of kingship. ... The Fourth dynasty of Egypt was the second of the four dynasties considered forming the Old Kingdom. ... Djedefptah is a shadowy figure, and his existence is questionable. ...

"no names of estates of the period [which are] compounded with royal names make mention of any other kings than these, nor do the names of...royal grandchildren, who often bore the name of a royal ancestor as a component of their own [name]."^[4]

The Turin Canon ascribes Shepseskaf a rule of 4 years and his anonymous 4th dynasty successor--presumably a reference to Djedefptah--a reign of 2 years. In contrast, Manetho's King List explicitly gives Shepseskaf a reign of 7 years which may be a combination of the 4 + 2 (= 6) full year figures noted in the Turin Kinglist for the last two kings of the Fourth Dynasty plus a significant monthly fraction. Manetho's King List does, however, also note the existence of the unknown and possibly fictitious ruler Djedeptah--called Thampthis in his records--who is ascribed a reign of 9 years. Manetho, also known as Manethon of Sebennytos, was an Egyptian historian and priest from Sebennytos who lived during the Ptolematic era, circa 3rd century BC. Manetho recorded Aegyptiaca (History of Egypt). ...

Shepseskaf broke with the Fourth Dynasty tradition of constructing large pyramid tombs. He instead built his tomb as a great mastaba at Saqqara, now known as Mastabat Fara'un. In contrast, his forefathers built the pyramids of Giza while Sneferu, the founder of the dynasty, alone constructed three pyramids in his reign most notably, the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid. A mastaba was a flat-roofed, mud brick, rectangular building with sloping sides that marked the burial site of many eminent Egyptians of Egypts ancient period. ... Saqqara (Arabic: سقارة) is a vast, ancient burial ground in Egypt, featuring the worlds oldest standing step pyramid. ... Located in south Saqqara, Egypt, in the Memphite Necropolis, the structure known as Mastabat Faraun is the burial place of king Shepseskaf, of the Fourth Dynasty. ... The Great Sphinx of Giza with Khafres pyramid in the background. ... Pyramids of Giza in 1960s Egypt: Site of Giza or Al Jizah (top center). ... Sneferu He of Beauty[1] Horus name Neb-maat[2] Nebty name Neb-maat-nebty[2] Golden Horus Bik-nub[2] Consort(s) Hetepheres I Issues Khufu Father Huni Mother Meresankh I Died 2589 BC Major Monuments Bent Pyramid, Red Pyramid Sneferu, also spelt as Snefru or Snofru (in Greek... Image:Pyramid of sneferu bent 01. ... Detail of the massive corbel-vaulted ceiling of the main burial chamber The south face of the Red Pyramid This article is about the pyramid. ...

References

• King Shepseskaf
• Urkunden des Alten Reichs by Kurt Sethe