:''See
Amenemhat, for other individuals with this name.''
Amenemhat IV (also known as Amenemhet IV) was the seventh and penultimate
Jürgen von Beckerath
Jürgen von Beckerath (19 February 1920 – 26 June 2016) was a German Egyptology, Egyptologist. He was a prolific writer who published countless articles in journals such as '':fr:Orientalia, Orientalia'', ''Göttinger Miszellen'' (GM), ''Journa ...
: ''Handbuch der ägyptischen Königsnamen'', Münchner ägyptologische Studien, Heft 49, Mainz : Philip von Zabern, 1999, , see pp. 86–87, king No 7. and p. 283 for the dates of Amenemhat IV's reign. king of the late
Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt
The Twelfth Dynasty of ancient Egypt (Dynasty XII) is a series of rulers reigning from 1991–1802 BC (190 years), at what is often considered to be the apex of the Middle Kingdom of Egypt, Middle Kingdom (Dynasties XI–XIV). The dynasty period ...
during the late
Middle Kingdom period. He arguably ruled around 1786–1777 BC for about nine regnal years.
[Darrell D. Baker: The Encyclopedia of the Pharaohs: Volume I – Predynastic to the Twentieth Dynasty 3300–1069 BC, Stacey International, , 2008, p. 30–32][ K.S.B. Ryholt: ''The Political Situation in Egypt during the Second Intermediate Period, c. 1800–1550 BC'', Carsten Niebuhr Institute Publications, vol. 20. Copenhagen: Museum Tusculanum Press, 1997]
excerpts available online here.
/ref>
Amenemhat IV may have been the son, grandson, son-in-law, or stepson of his predecessor, the powerful Amenemhat III
:''See Amenemhat, for other individuals with this name.''
Amenemhat III (Ancient Egyptian: ''Ỉmn-m-hꜣt'' meaning 'Amun is at the forefront'), also known as Amenemhet III, was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the sixth king of the Twelfth Dyn ...
. His reign started with a seemingly peaceful two-year coregency with Amenemhat III. He undertook expeditions in the Sinai for turquoise
Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminium, with the chemical formula . It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gemstone for millennia due to its hue.
The robi ...
, in Upper Egypt for amethyst
Amethyst is a Violet (color), violet variety of quartz. The name comes from the Koine Greek from - , "not" and (Ancient Greek) / (Modern Greek), "intoxicate", a reference to the belief that the stone protected its owner from Alcohol into ...
, and to the Land of Punt
The Land of Punt (Egyptian language, Egyptian: ''wikt:pwnt#Egyptian, pwnt''; alternate Egyptian language#Egyptological pronunciation, Egyptological readings ''Pwene''(''t'') ) was an ancient kingdom known from Ancient Egyptian trade records. ...
. He also maintained trade relations with Byblos
Byblos ( ; ), also known as Jebeil, Jbeil or Jubayl (, Lebanese Arabic, locally ), is an ancient city in the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate of Lebanon. The area is believed to have been first settled between 8800 and 7000BC and continuously inhabited ...
as well as continuing the Egyptian presence in Nubia
Nubia (, Nobiin language, Nobiin: , ) is a region along the Nile river encompassing the area between the confluence of the Blue Nile, Blue and White Nile, White Niles (in Khartoum in central Sudan), and the Cataracts of the Nile, first cataract ...
.
Amenemhat IV built some parts of the temple of Hathor
Hathor (, , , Meroitic language, Meroitic: ') was a major ancient Egyptian deities, goddess in ancient Egyptian religion who played a wide variety of roles. As a sky deity, she was the mother or consort of the sky god Horus and the sun god R ...
at Serabit el-Khadim in the Sinai, and constructed the well-preserved temple of Renenutet in Medinet Madi. The tomb of Amenemhat IV has not been identified, although the Southern Mazghuna pyramid is a possibility.
Amenemhat IV was succeeded by Sobekneferu
Sobekneferu or Neferusobek () was the first confirmed queen regnant
A queen regnant (: queens regnant) is a female monarch, equivalent in rank, title and position to a king. She reigns ''suo jure'' (in her own right) over a realm known ...
, who may have been his sister or stepsister; she was a daughter of Amenemhat III. Her reign marked the end of the Twelfth Dynasty and the beginning of the Middle Kingdom's decline into the Second Intermediate Period.
Family
Amenemhat IV's mother was a woman named Hetepti. Hetepti's only known attestation is an inscription on the wall of the temple of Renenutet at Medinet Madi, where she is given the title of "King's Mother", but not the titles of "King's Wife", "King's Daughter", or "King's Sister". She may or may not have been a wife of Amenemhat III, as her titles in relation to Amenemhat III might have been omitted in an inscription from her son's reign. In addition to Amenemhat IV, Hetepti appears to have had a daughter, Merestekhi, attested with the title of "King's Sister" after the accession of Amenemhat IV; her son Ankhew was overseer of the fields in the reign of his uncle Amenemhat IV.
The relationship of Amenemhat IV to Amenemhat III is debated. Amenemhat IV was the son of Amenemhat III according to 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 ...
, but as he isn't called a "King's Son" in any known reference to him, some historians believe that he was a grandson. However, there is no record of another son of Amenemhat III and as stated above, Hetepti is not known to have been called a "King's Daughter". The absence of queenly titles for Hetepti has led to doubt that Amenemhat IV could have been a son of Amenemhat III.
Africanus' epitome of 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 ...
indicates that Amenemhat IV (Ammenemēs) was succeeded by his sister Sobekneferu
Sobekneferu or Neferusobek () was the first confirmed queen regnant
A queen regnant (: queens regnant) is a female monarch, equivalent in rank, title and position to a king. She reigns ''suo jure'' (in her own right) over a realm known ...
(Skemiophris), who indeed ruled in her own right upon the death of Amenemhat IV and is attested as a daughter of Amenemhat III. Sobekneferu is not known to have borne the title of "King's Wife" or "King's Sister" among her other titles. Egyptologist Kim Ryholt has alternatively proposed that before marrying Amenemhat III, Hetepti had been previously married to another man and that Amenemhat IV came from this marriage, thus becoming Sobekneferu's stepbrother – which could explain the Manethonian tradition.
Although a possible son, the "Son of Re of his body Ameny" is attested (British Museum plaquette no. 22879, but here Ameny might still be a reference to Amenemhat IV himself, if one does not correct "Son of Re" to "King's Son"), Amenemhat IV may have died without a surviving male heir, which could explain why he was succeeded by Sobekneferu. Kim Ryholt, followed by Aidan Dodson, views the first two rulers of the Thirteenth Dynasty, Sobekhotep I and Sonbef, as the sons of Amenemhat IV, based on what they consider the filiative nomen Amenemhat in their fuller names, Amenemhat Sobekhotep and Amenemhat Sonbef. However, Julien Siesse has argued that such an interpretation of the royal names is not supported by the evidence and that the multiple names all refer to the same individual.
Reign
The Turin Canon, a king list redacted during the early Ramesside period, records Amenemhat IV on Column 6, Row 1, and credits him with a reign of 9 years, 3 months and 27 days. Amenemhat IV is also recorded on Entry 65 of the Abydos King List
The Abydos King List, also known as the Abydos Table or the Abydos Tablet, is a list of the names of 76 kings of ancient Egypt, found on a wall of the Temple of Seti I at Abydos, Egypt. It consists of three rows of 38 cartouches (borders enclos ...
and Entry 38 of the Saqqara Tablet, both of which date to the New Kingdom.
In spite of the Turin canon, the duration of Amenemhat IV's reign is uncertain. It was given as eight years under the name ''Ammenemēs'' in Africanus' epitome of Manetho's ''Aegyptiaca''. In any case, Amenemhat IV's rule seems to have been peaceful and uneventful. Amenemhat IV is well attested by contemporary artefacts, including a number of scarab- and cylinder-seals.
Coregency
Amenemhat IV first came to power as a junior coregent[William J. Murnane: ''Ancient Egyptian Coregencies'', Studies in Ancient Oriental Civilization (SAOC) 40, Chicago: The Oriental Institute, 1977]
available online
direct access t
pdf
/ref> of his predecessor Amenemhat III
:''See Amenemhat, for other individuals with this name.''
Amenemhat III (Ancient Egyptian: ''Ỉmn-m-hꜣt'' meaning 'Amun is at the forefront'), also known as Amenemhet III, was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the sixth king of the Twelfth Dyn ...
, whose reign marks the apex of the Middle Kingdom period. The coregency is well attested by numerous monuments and artefacts where the names of the two kings parallel each other. The length of this coregency is uncertain; it could have lasted from one to seven years, although most scholars believe it was only two years long.
Expeditions
The Sinai
Four expeditions to the turquoise mines of Serabit el-Khadim in the Sinai are dated to his reign by in-situ inscriptions. The latest took place in his ninth year on the throne and could be the last expedition of the Middle Kingdom, since the next inscription dates to Ahmose I
Ahmose I (''Amosis'', ''Aahmes''; meaning "Iah (the Moon) is born") was a pharaoh and founder of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt in the New Kingdom of Egypt, the era in which ancient Egypt achieved the peak of its power. His reign is usually d ...
's reign, some 200 years later.
Wadi el-Hudi
In Year 2 of Amenemhat IV an expedition was sent to mine amethyst
Amethyst is a Violet (color), violet variety of quartz. The name comes from the Koine Greek from - , "not" and (Ancient Greek) / (Modern Greek), "intoxicate", a reference to the belief that the stone protected its owner from Alcohol into ...
in the Wadi el-Hudi in southern Egypt. The leader of the expedition was the ''assistant treasurer'' Sahathor.
Byblos
During his reign, important trade relations must have existed with the city of Byblos
Byblos ( ; ), also known as Jebeil, Jbeil or Jubayl (, Lebanese Arabic, locally ), is an ancient city in the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate of Lebanon. The area is believed to have been first settled between 8800 and 7000BC and continuously inhabited ...
on the coast of modern-day Lebanon
Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...
, where an obsidian and gold chest as well as a jar lid bearing Amenemhat IV's name have been found. A gold plaque showing Amenemhat IV offering to a deity may also originate there.
Mersa Gawasis
In 2010, a report on continuing excavations at Wadi Gawasis on the Red Sea
The Red Sea is a sea inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. Its connection to the ocean is in the south, through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. To its north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and th ...
coast notes the finding of two wooden chests and an ostracon inscribed with a hieratic
Hieratic (; ) is the name given to a cursive writing system used for Ancient Egyptian and the principal script used to write that language from its development in the third millennium BCE until the rise of Demotic in the mid-first millennium BCE ...
text mentioning an expedition to the fabled Land of Punt
The Land of Punt (Egyptian language, Egyptian: ''wikt:pwnt#Egyptian, pwnt''; alternate Egyptian language#Egyptological pronunciation, Egyptological readings ''Pwene''(''t'') ) was an ancient kingdom known from Ancient Egyptian trade records. ...
in regnal year 8 of Amenemhat IV, under the direction of the royal scribe Djedy. Two fragments of a stela depicting Amenemhat IV and dating to his regnal year 7 were found at Berenice on the Red Sea.
Nilometer
In Nubia
Nubia (, Nobiin language, Nobiin: , ) is a region along the Nile river encompassing the area between the confluence of the Blue Nile, Blue and White Nile, White Niles (in Khartoum in central Sudan), and the Cataracts of the Nile, first cataract ...
, three nilometer records are known from Kumna that are explicitly dated to regnal years 5, 6, and 7, showing that Egyptian presence in the region was maintained during his lifetime.
Building activities
Amenemhat IV completed the temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...
of Renenutet and Sobek
Sobek (), also known as Suchus (), was an ancient Egyptian deities, ancient Egyptian deity with a complex and elastic history and nature. He is associated with the Nile crocodile and is often represented as a crocodile-headed humanoid, if not a ...
at Medinet Madi that had been started by Amenemhat III
:''See Amenemhat, for other individuals with this name.''
Amenemhat III (Ancient Egyptian: ''Ỉmn-m-hꜣt'' meaning 'Amun is at the forefront'), also known as Amenemhet III, was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the sixth king of the Twelfth Dyn ...
. It is "the only intact temple still existing from the Middle Kingdom" according to Zahi Hawass
Zahi Abass Hawass (; born May 28, 1947) is an Egyptians, Egyptian archaeology, archaeologist, Egyptology, Egyptologist, and former Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Egypt), Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, a position he held twice. He has ...
, former Secretary-General of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities
The Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA; ) was established in 1994, responsible for the conservation, protection, and regulation of all antiquities and archaeological excavations in Egypt. From 1994 to 2011, the SCA was a department of the Egyptia ...
(SCA). The foundations of the temple, administrative buildings, granaries, and residences were uncovered by an Egyptian archaeological expedition in early 2006. It is possible that Amenemhat IV built a temple in the northeastern Fayum at Qasr el-Sagha.
Amenemhat IV is responsible for the completion of a shrine at the temple of Hathor in the Sinai and may also have undertaken works in Karnak
The Karnak Temple Complex, commonly known as Karnak (), comprises a vast mix of temples, pylons, chapels, and other buildings near Luxor, Egypt. Construction at the complex began during the reign of Senusret I (reigned 1971–1926 BC) in the ...
where a pedestal for a sacred barque inscribed with the names of Amenemhat III and Amenemhat IV was found in 1924.
Tomb
The tomb of Amenemhat IV has not been identified. It is likely he built his pyramid near those of his predecessors. Some pyramid remains have been connected to Amenemhat IV.
He often is associated with the ruined Southern Mazghuna pyramid. No inscriptions have been found within the pyramid to determine the identity of its owner, but its architectural similarityFlinders Petrie
Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie ( – ), commonly known as simply Sir Flinders Petrie, was an English people, English Egyptology, Egyptologist and a pioneer of systematic methodology in archaeology and the preservation of artefacts. ...
, G. A. Wainwright, E. Mackay: ''The Labyrinth, Gerzeh and Mazghuneh'', London 1912
available online
with the second pyramid of Amenemhat III at Hawara has led Egyptologists to date the pyramid to the late Twelfth Dynasty or early Thirteenth Dynasty. Less likely, Amenemhat IV could have been interred in Amenemhat III's first pyramid in Dahshur, since his name has been found on an inscription in the mortuary temple.
At Dahshur
DahshurAlso transliterated ''Dahshour'' (in English often called ''Dashur''; ' ) is an ancient Egyptian pyramid complex and necropolis and shares the name of the nearby village of Manshiyyat Dahshur () in markaz Badrashin, Giza Governorate, Giza ...
, next to the pyramid of Amenemhat II, the remains of another pyramid dating to the Middle Kingdom were discovered during building work. The pyramid has not yet been excavated, but a fragment inscribed with the royal name "Amenemhat" has been unearthed. It is possible that this pyramid belongs to Amenemhat IV, although there are also kings of the Thirteenth Dynasty that bore the name Amenemhat and who could have built the pyramid. Alternatively, the relief fragment could have originated at the nearby pyramid of Amenemhat II.
Theories
Legacy
Less than half a decade after Amenemhat IV's death, the Twelfth Dynasty came to an end and was replaced by the much weaker Thirteenth Dynasty. Although the first two rulers of this new dynasty may have been sons of Amenemhat IV, political instability quickly became prevalent and kings rarely ruled beyond a couple of years. The influx of Asiatic immigrants in the Nile Delta
The Nile Delta (, or simply , ) is the River delta, delta formed in Lower Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the world's larger deltas—from Alexandria in the west to Port Said in the eas ...
that had started during the reigns of Amenemhat IV's predecessor accelerated under his own reign, becoming completely unchecked.[ Toby Wilkinson: ''The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt'', Bloomsbury Paperbacks (2011), ]
see in particular p. 183
/ref> Under the Thirteenth Dynasty, the Asiatic population of the Delta founded an independent kingdom ruled by kings of Canaanite descent, forming the Fourteenth Dynasty that reigned from Avaris
Avaris (Egyptian: ḥw.t wꜥr.t, sometimes ''hut-waret''; ; ; ) was the Hyksos capital of Egypt located at the modern site of Tell el-Dab'a in the northeastern region of the Nile Delta. As the main course of the Nile migrated eastward, its po ...
. Approximately 80 years after the reign of Amenemhat IV, "the administration f the Egyptian stateseems to have completely collapsed", marking the start of the Second Intermediate Period.
Dating
Various authors provide different estimates for his reign: AE Chronology (1772–1764), v. Beckerath (1807–1798), Shaw (1786–1777), Dodson (1798–1785), Arnold (1799–1787), Malek (1814–1805), Grimal (1797–1790), Franke (1773–1764), Redford (1798–1790).
See also
* List of pharaohs
The title "pharaoh" is used for those rulers of Ancient Egypt who ruled after the unification of Upper Egypt, Upper and Lower Egypt by Narmer during the Early Dynastic Period of Egypt, Early Dynastic Period, approximately 3100 BC. However, the sp ...
References
Bibliography
*Dodson, Aidan, and Dyan Hilton, 2004: ''The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt,'' London: Thames & Hudson.
*Grajetzki, Wolfram 2010: ''The Middle Kingdom of Ancient Egypt: History, Archaeology and Society'', Bloomsbury 3PL,
*Matzker, Ingo 1986: ''Die letzten Könige der 12. Dynastie'', Europäische Hochschulschriften. Reihe III, Geschichte und ihre Hilfswissenschaften. Frankfurt, Bern, New York: Lang.
*Pignattari, Stefania 2018: ''Amenemhat IV and the end of the Twelfth Dynasty'', BAR Publishing,
*Ryholt, Kim S. B. 1997: ''The Politial Situation in Egypt during the Second Intermediate Period c. 1800–1500 BC'', Copenhagen: Museum Tusculanum Press.
*Shaw, Ian, and Paul Nicholson 1995: ''The Dictionary of Ancient Egypt'', Harry N. Abrams, Inc. Publishers.
*Siesse, Julien 2019: ''La XIIIe Dynasties: Histoire de la fin du Moyen Empire égyptien'', Paris: Sorbonne.
*Waddell, W.G., (transl.) 1940: ''Manetho'', Cambridge, MA: Loeb Classical Library.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Amenemhat IV
19th-century BC pharaohs
18th-century BC pharaohs
Pharaohs of the Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt
Children of Amenemhat III