The Fourth Dynasty of

ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt () was a cradle of civilization concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in Northeast Africa. It emerged from prehistoric Egypt around 3150BC (according to conventional Egyptian chronology), when Upper and Lower E ...

(notated Dynasty IV) is characterized as a "

golden age The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the ''Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages of Man, Ages, Gold being the first and the one during wh ...

" of the

Old Kingdom of Egypt In ancient Egyptian history, the Old Kingdom is the period spanning –2200 BC. It is also known as the "Age of the Pyramids" or the "Age of the Pyramid Builders", as it encompasses the reigns of the great pyramid-builders of the Fourth Dynasty ...

. Dynasty IV lasted from to c. 2498 BC. It was a time of peace and prosperity as well as one during which trade with other countries is officially documented. The Fourth Dynasty heralded the height of the

pyramid A pyramid () is a structure whose visible surfaces are triangular in broad outline and converge toward the top, making the appearance roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be of any polygon shape, such as trian ...

-building age. The peaceful rule of the Third Dynasty allowed artistic expressions to flourish. Building experiments done by King

Sneferu Sneferu or Soris (c. 2600 BC) was an ancient Egyptian monarch and the first pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty of Egypt, during the earlier half of the Old Kingdom period (26th century BC). He introduced major innovations in the design and constructio ...

led to the evolution of

mastaba A mastaba ( , or ), also mastabah or mastabat) is a type of ancient Egyptian tomb in the form of a flat-roofed, rectangular structure with inward sloping sides, constructed out of mudbricks or limestone. These edifices marked the burial sites ...

tombs into the smooth sided pyramids like those seen on the

Giza Plateau The Giza Plateau () is a limestone plateau in Giza, Egypt, the site of the Fourth Dynasty Giza pyramid complex, which includes the pyramids of Pyramid of Khufu, Khufu, Pyramid of Khafre, Khafre and Pyramid of Menkaure, Menkaure, the Great Sphinx o ...

. No other period in Egyptian history equaled the accomplishments achieved during the Fourth Dynasty.Egypt: Land and Lives of the Pharaohs Revealed, (2005), pp. 80–90, Global Book Publishing: Australia

Rulers

Summary of Listed Kings

Sneferu

Sneferu, lauded as "Bringer of Beauty", "Master of All Justice", and "Ruler of Lower and Upper Nile", was the first pharaoh of the fourth dynasty. He descended from a family in Middle Egypt that lived near the city of

Hermopolis Hermopolis (or ''Hermopolis Magna'') was a major city in antiquity, located near the boundary between Lower and Upper Egypt. Its Egyptian name ''Khemenu'' derives from the eight deities (the Ogdoad) said to reside in the city. A provincial capi ...

, and most likely ascended to the throne by marrying a royal heiress. There is still debate as to who his father was, with the credit often being given to Huni, but this cannot be confirmed due to the break in dynasties. His mother, Meresankh I was either a lesser wife or concubine of Huni. Until his reign, Egyptian kings were thought to be worldly incarnations of

Horus Horus (), also known as Heru, Har, Her, or Hor () in Egyptian language, Ancient Egyptian, is one of the most significant ancient Egyptian deities who served many functions, most notably as the god of kingship, healing, protection, the sun, and t ...

, obtaining total deification exclusively in death. Sneferu was the first king to proclaim that he was the embodiment of Ra, a sun deity. Sneferu built the

Bent Pyramid The Bent Pyramid is an ancient Egyptian pyramid located at the royal necropolis of Dahshur, approximately south of Cairo, built under the Old Kingdom King Sneferu. A unique example of early pyramid development in Ancient Egypt, Egypt, this was th ...

, imitating King

Djoser Djoser (also read as Djeser and Zoser) was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh of the 3rd Dynasty during the Old Kingdom, and was the founder of that epoch. He is also known by his Hellenized names Tosorthros (from Manetho) and Sesorthos (from Euse ...

tomb A tomb ( ''tumbos'') or sepulchre () is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes. Placing a corpse into a tomb can be called '' immurement'', alth ...

, approximately 150 years later. The

Red Pyramid The Red Pyramid, also called the North Pyramid, is the largest of the pyramids located at the Dahshur necropolis in Cairo, Egypt. Named for the rusty reddish hue of its red limestone stones, it is also the third largest Egyptian pyramid, after ...

is considered to be the first of the "true" pyramids built by Sneferu and earned the name due to its red coloration from the limestone used. Sneferu is attributed to constructing the Medium pyramid, likely for the last king of the Third Dynasty, Huni. Sneferu may also be responsible for a series of pyramids built in Selia, though no evidence dictates exactly who built them. He did commission a total of three pyramids during his reign. Many of Snerferu's political expeditions were to other countries to secure two things: a substantial labor force, through

slavery Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

, and access to a large store of building materials. He frequently traveled to Nubia, and Libya for these. The excursions into Nubia, and Libya allowed an extensive labor force to accumulate requiring vast amounts of food sources in order to maintain.

Khufu

Khufu, known to the Greek as Cheops, and Sneferu's successor—though it is unclear whether he was the biological son of

—was a widely known king. He is still known very well in present-day media, being featured in movies, novels, and television shows. His fame stems from his pyramid on the northeastern plateau at

Giza Giza (; sometimes spelled ''Gizah, Gizeh, Geeza, Jiza''; , , ' ) is the third-largest city in Egypt by area after Cairo and Alexandria; and fourth-largest city in Africa by population after Kinshasa, Lagos, and Cairo. It is the capital of ...

, where he was buried. His mortuary temple was built on the northern end of the pyramid, which is no longer accessible due to grave robbers ravaging the area. Only three-dimensional reliefs have been recovered and have lasted into modern day, including many limestone busts and clay figurines. Khufu's activities in and out of Egypt are not well documented, with the exception of his architecture. Kheops-Pyramid

The Ancient Greeks remain some of the only texts referencing Khufu, through which they viewed him as a cruel and wicked man who offended the deities and forced his subjects into slavery. Khufu, as the son of Sneferu, was believed to be illegitimate and therefore unworthy of the throne. Even if he was Sneferu's true son. He did very little to expand the country of

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

and failed to follow his father's footsteps of territorial gains.

Djedefre

Sphinx_of_Hetepheres_II_-_fourth_dynasty_of_Egypt

Djedefre is credited by historians with a reign of eight years. Not much is known of Djedefre, including his inconclusive lineage. It is possible that he is

Khufu Khufu or Cheops (died 2566 BC) was an ancient Egyptian monarch who was the second pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty of Egypt, Fourth Dynasty, in the first half of the Old Kingdom of Egypt, Old Kingdom period (26th century BC). Khufu succeeded his ...

's son or that he was

's brother. It is widely suggested that he is the son of a lesser queen who murdered the rightful heir to the throne and Djedefre's half brother, the crown prince

Kawab Kawab ( 2600 BC - 2570 BC) was an ancient Egyptian prince of the 4th Dynasty. He was the eldest son of King Khufu and Queen Meritites I. Kawab served as vizier and was buried in the double mastaba G 7110–7120 in the east field which is part ...

. Djedefre chose to build his pyramid several kilometers north of Giza, creating speculation that there was a family feud that caused him to want to be far away from Khufu's tomb. A more favorable conclusion was that Djedefre chose to be buried closer to

Iunu Heliopolis (Jwnw, Iunu; , 'the Pillars'; , ; ) was a major city of ancient Egypt. It was the capital of the 13th Nome, 13th or Heliopolite Nome of Lower Egypt and a major religious centre. Its site is within the boundaries of Ain Shams and El M ...

, the center of the cult of Ra. His pyramid also features a statue of his wife, Hetepheres II, in the form of a sphinx. She was a daughter of Khufu and had been the wife of Kawab. It is sometimes suggested that this was the first true sphinx, although there is debate about the sphinx at Giza that was credited to Khafre. She became the longest living royal member of the dynasty, living into the reign of Shepseskaf.

Khafre

Khafre, son of Khufu, succeeded his supposed brother,

Djedefre Djedefre (also known as Djedefra and Radjedef; died 2558 BC) was an ancient Egyptian king (pharaoh) of the Fourth Dynasty of Egypt, 4th Dynasty during the Old Kingdom of Egypt, Old Kingdom. He is well known by the Hellenization, Hellenized form ...

, after his short reign. He chose to build his pyramid close to his father, matching it in style and being almost as large. At the front of the pyramid causeway lies the

Great Sphinx The Great Sphinx of Giza is a limestone statue of a reclining sphinx, a mythical creature with the head of a human and the body of a lion. Facing east, it stands on the Giza Plateau on the west bank of the Nile in Giza, Egypt. The original sh ...

that is said to bear his features. There is still debate on whether his Sphinx was erected before Djedefre's. Khafre's sphinx was well-known and closer to his subjects, making it harder to determine which was built first due to biased record keeping. Khafre built the most amount of statues for Dynasty IV, leading to greater evidence of his 25 year long rule. He did cause controversy however, with his

statue A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or Casting (metalworking), cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to ...

depicting his ties still to the god Horus, rather than Ra. MenkauraAndQueen_MuseumOfFineArtsBoston

Menkaure

Menkaure succeeded his father, Khafre, as King of Egypt. Menkaure is consistently depicted in his statuary as being around the personifications of deities, and nomes. His pyramid is the third and smallest of those at

Giza pyramid complex The Giza pyramid complex (also called the Giza necropolis) in Egypt is home to the Great Pyramid of Giza, Great Pyramid, the pyramid of Khafre, and the pyramid of Menkaure, along with their associated pyramid complexes and the Great Sphinx of G ...

and is known as ''Netjer-er-Menkaure'', which translates into "Menkaure is Divine". There was a sarcophagus found within the pyramid, that is approximately eight feet in length and three feet in height, made of basalt.

Shepseskaf

Shepseskaf is generally accepted as the last king of the Fourth Dynasty, succeeding Menkaure. There is no conclusive evidence of who his mother is, though it is believed that he was the son of a minor queen. Who his wife was also is unknown.It is also uncertain of his relationship to Menkaure, and if he was a son or brother. Shepseskaf broke the chain of pyramid building by the previous five kings. Instead of a pyramid, he chose to construct a mastaba, a rectangular block, which is commonly referred to as the Mastabat al-Fir’aun ("Pharaoh's Bench").

Other notable individuals

Baka

The identification of Baka is unresolved. Several ancient lists of kings have survived. They do not agree, however, and none of them may be considered complete. The Turin King List has a lacuna between Khafre and Menkaure, where the author had listed a king who reigned between these two pharaohs. The name of the king and length of the reign are completely lost in the lacuna. The Saqqara Tablet also notes a king between Khafre and Menkaure, but here too, the name is lost. Some authorities have equated this king with Bikheris, on

Manetho Manetho (; ''Manéthōn'', ''gen''.: Μανέθωνος, ''fl''. 290–260 BCE) was an Egyptian priest of the Ptolemaic Kingdom who lived in the early third century BCE, at the very beginning of the Hellenistic period. Little is certain about his ...

's list, who could correspond to the Egyptian name ''Baka'' or ''Bakare''.

Khentkaus I

Perhaps the most intriguing evidence of the fourth dynasty is the status of Khentkaus I, also known as Khentykawes. She was a daughter of Menkaure and her tomb was built along the Menkaure causeway. She may have ruled as king. Her tomb is a large

tomb, with another off-center mastaba placed above it. The second mastaba could not be centered over her primary mastaba because of the free, unsupported, space in the rooms below. On a granite doorway leading into her tomb, Khentkaus I is given titles that may be read either as ''mother of two kings of upper and lower Egypt'', as ''mother of the king of upper and lower Egypt and king of upper and lower Egypt'', or, as one scholar reads it, ''king of upper and lower Egypt and mother of two kings of upper and lower Egypt''. Furthermore, her depiction on this doorway also gives her the full trappings of kingship, including the false beard of the

king King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...

. This depiction and the title given have led some Egyptologists to suggest that she reigned as king near the end of the fourth dynasty. Her tomb was finished in a characteristic niche style of architecture, however, the niches were later filled in with a smooth casing of limestone.

Changes During the Fourth Dynasty

Authority of Kings

On the whole, Egypt was ruled by two centers of power—legal authority and traditional authority. Legal authority constituted governing by the king, not over the people directly, but via viziers and

nomarch A nomarch (, Great Chief) was a provincial governor in ancient Egypt; the country was divided into 42 provinces, called Nome (Egypt), nomes (singular , plural ). A nomarch was the government official responsible for a nome. Etymology The te ...

s. Traditional authority was derived from the concept that the deities gave a king the divine right to rule as he pleased. At its heart, the Fourth Dynasty Egyptian government became organized so that only the king could direct traditional authority.

Religious changes

The Fourth Dynasty is a period in which a shift in religious practices can be seen. Worship of the sun was becoming the common practice, as the Cult of Ra grew in size. The worship of the Sun was centered around the tomb of the king,

in the city Heliopolis,which had been occupied since predynastic times, and named by the

Ancient Greeks Ancient Greece () was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity (), that comprised a loose collection of culturally and linguistically re ...

. During the era centralization of the nations resources, material, organic, and human, began to develop a relationship to the king. The kings and their relation to the

deities A deity or god is a supernatural being considered to be sacred and worthy of worship due to having authority over some aspect of the universe and/or life. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines ''deity'' as a God (male deity), god or god ...

became unchallenged, with the kings carving their named into statues and monuments that had been previously reserved for deities. Khafre's famous statue, where a falcon was incorporated into his headgear, equated the king to the god Horus. Kings no longer associated pyramids with the

afterlife The afterlife or life after death is a purported existence in which the essential part of an individual's Stream of consciousness (psychology), stream of consciousness or Personal identity, identity continues to exist after the death of their ...

. The afterlife was once believed to be a divine kingdom that was represented as a type of idealistic heaven where only kings and pure hearts could go. Instead, the Fourth Dynasty represented a change in this idea, formulated the notion that the afterlife was a familiar place, taking the semblance of Earth.

Changing customs drove architectural changes

The

Old Kingdom In ancient Egyptian history, the Old Kingdom is the period spanning –2200 BC. It is also known as the "Age of the Pyramids" or the "Age of the Pyramid Builders", as it encompasses the reigns of the great pyramid-builders of the Fourth Dynast ...

saw a rise in the preservation of the deceased, making the preparation of bodies much more complex. The position of embalmer was created, and their jobs were solely to prepare a corpse in private. There were three ways to mummify a body: 1) Stucco: the body would be wrapped in fine linen and then covered in stucco plaster, the features of the body (including the face) were remodeled in the plaster; 2) Linen: the body would be wrapped in linen, which was sometimes treated with natron (a mixture of multiple sodium carbonates) and the linens would be treated with resin so that the features of the body could be modeled; and 3) Defleshing: removing all flesh and wrapping the bones in linens. Generally, organs were removed which were then put into jars that would accompany the body in the tomb, and the inside of the body flushed out. Tombs in the Fourth Dynasty changed drastically. "Unimpressive" graves did not satisfy the elites, meaning they would settle for smaller structures if the interior was decorated.

Hieroglyph Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs ( ) were the formal writing system used in Ancient Egypt for writing the Egyptian language. Hieroglyphs combined ideographic, logographic, syllabic and alphabetic elements, with more than 1,000 distinct characters. ...

ic writings were important to elites because, one, it was a lavish display of wealth and, two, it guided their souls to the

. The Fourth Dynasty, however, did not have these writings. Instead, the tomb was deeper and super-structures were larger. After the

, later generations of tombs were more reasonably sized. After the Middle Kingdom, royals abandoned pyramids; they preferred graves that were carved into living rock of the Upper Egyptian mountains.

Age of the Pyramids

The ''Age of the Pyramids'' refers to the fact that the Fourth Dynasty was the time when most of the well-known pyramids were built, which include those at

. King Sneferu was the first king to express an interest in

funerary rites A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect t ...

and tombs, which led him to the planning of the largest pyramid at Egypt. His first pyramids were called the

and

. The "Age of the Pyramids" was not just about the building of large and easily recognizable structures, but also a change in funerary practices and rituals. This includes the burying of elites in large structures and the use of extensive

mummification A mummy is a dead human or an animal whose soft tissues and organs have been preserved by either intentional or accidental exposure to chemicals, extreme cold, very low humidity, or lack of air, so that the recovered body does not decay furt ...

Timeline

Fourth Dynasty timeline ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:12 PlotArea = top:10 bottom:30 right:130 left:20 AlignBars = justify DateFormat = yyyy Period = from:-2620 till:-2490 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:30 start:-2620 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:10 start:-2620 Colors = id:canvas value:rgb(0.97,0.97,0.97) id:PA value:green id:GP value:red id:eon value:rgb(1,0.7,1) # light purple Backgroundcolors = canvas:canvas BarData = barset:Rulers PlotData= width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till barset:Rulers from: -2613 till: -2589 color:PA text:"

" from: -2589 till: -2566 color:PA text:"

(Cheops)" from: -2566 till: -2558 color:PA text:"

(Radjedef)" from: -2558 till: -2532 color:PA text:" Khafre (Chephren)" from: -2532 till: -2531 color:PA text:" Baka" ? from: -2532 till: -2503 color:PA text:" Menkaure (Mycerinus, Mykerinos)" from: -2503 till: -2498 color:PA text:" Shepseskaf" from: -2498 till: -2494 color:PA text:" Djedefptah" ? barset:skip

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fourth Dynasty Of Egypt States and territories established in the 3rd millennium BC States and territories disestablished in the 3rd millennium BC 04 3rd millennium BC in Egypt 3rd-millennium BC establishments in Egypt 3rd-millennium BC disestablishments in Egypt