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Learn about the Egyptian Dynasties with our fast fact sheets. |
History of the
4th Dynasty and its Pharaohs from King Snefru to
King Shepseskaf Fourth Dynasty Dates: c 2575–2465 B.C.E. Ancient Egyptian History - 4th Dynasty Fact Sheet Fact 1 on 4th Dynasty: The 3rd royal house of Egypt included King Djoserand his brilliant architect Imhotep who built the Step Pyramid at Saqqara, beginning the Age of the Pyramids. The last king called Huni had a daughter called Hetepheres who became the wife of Snefru. Fact 2 on 4th Dynasty: King Snefruand Queen Hetepheres became the founders of the 4th royal house of ancient Egyptian kings. They ruled at Memphis. Fact 3 on 4th Dynasty: Snefru was a pharaoh of great vision. One of his major achievements was to establish and Egyptian navy with over 40 ships, and explore the trading possibilities in the north with the Phoenicians in modern Lebanon. Fact 4 on 4th Dynasty: Wood was scarce in Egypt and cedarwood was a valuable commodity imported from Lebanon and used for building more ships, making temple doors and the manufacture of expensive coffins. Fact 5 on 4th Dynasty: Snefru, following the example of Djoser, continued military campaigns consolidating the hold over lands in the Eastern Desert and attacking the lands of northern Nubia. Fact 6 on 4th Dynasty: Snefru's successful campaigns in gold-rich Nubia resulted in the Egyptians capturing numerous Nubian prisoners. His military campaigns against the Nubians were recorded on the Palermo Stone. Fact 7 on 4th Dynasty: Snefru continued the building of the Pyramid Age by completing the Meidum Pyramid near Crocodilopolis that had been started by King Huni. He then initiated the building the Bent Pyramidand the Red Pyramidat Dashur (40 kilometres, 24 miles south of Cairo). Fact 8 on 4th Dynasty: Snefru's son Khufu aka Cheops succeeded his father to the throne of Egypt. Fact 9 on 4th Dynasty: Khufu aka Cheops built the Great Pyramid of Giza, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Fact 10 on 4th Dynasty: The architecture of the Step Pyramids had evolved to smooth surfaced pyramids. The Great Pyramid of Giza contains some 600,000 stone blocks, each weighing on the average two and a half tons. Fact 11 on 4th Dynasty: Khufu was succeeded by his son Djedefre aka Radjedef who built his pyramid, now in ruins, at Abu Rawash, some 8 km to the north of Giza. Djedefre's brother Khafre aka Chephren succeeded him to the throne. Fact 12 on 4th Dynasty: Khafre or Khafra (aka Chephren) was the builder of the second largest pyramid of Giza (Khafre's Pyramid) Fact 13 on 4th Dynasty: The Great Sphinx at Giza is said to date to the time of Khafre, although this is not confirmed. Khafre was described by later historians as a 'cruel and heretic ruler'. Fact 14 on 4th Dynasty: King Menkaure became famous for his pyramid tomb at Giza. Menkaure's Pyramidis the smallest of the three pyramids at Giza. Fact 15 on 4th Dynasty: Shepseskaf was the sixth and last pharaoh of this royal house of Egypt and broke with the tradition of building a pyramid as his tomb. There are theories that Shepseskaf may have chosen to build a Mastaba at Saqqara, rather than a pyramid at Giza, in order to undermine the growing influence of the priests of the sun-god Ra. Fact 16 on 4th Dynasty: The pharaohs of the 4th royal house were autocratic rulers only delegating power and responsibilities to members of the royal family. This would change when the next royal line, the sun kings, came to the throne of Egypt. Ancient Egyptian History - 4th Dynasty Fact Sheet
Definition of the
4th Dynasty
Fourth Dynasty Dates: c 2575–2465 B.C.E.
Ancient
Egyptian
Dynasties
Ancient
Egytian
Dynasties
Early
Dynastic
Period:
1st -
2nd
Dynasties
The Old
Kingdome
3rd -
6th
Dynasties
1st
Intermediate
Period
7th -
10th
Dynasties
The
Middle
Kingdom
11th -
12th
Dynasties
2nd
Intermediate
Period
13th -
20th
Dynasties
The New
Kingdom
18th -
20th
Dynasties
Post
Empire
21st -
31st
Dynasties
History of the
4th Dynasty Pharaohs
All of the Giza Pyramids
4th Dynasty Chronology - Succession and History
of the Kings Chronology of the Kings Name - Dates of Reign King Snefru - 2575–2551 BC King Khufu aka Cheops - 2551–2528 BCKing Djedefre aka Radjedef - 2528–2520 BC King Khafre or Khafra aka Chephren - 2520–2494 BCKing Menkaure aka Mycerinus - 2490–2472 BC King Shepseskaf - 2472–2467 BCChronology of the Kings
4th Dynasty History
Ancient Egyptian History
Egytian
Time
Periods
Prehistoric
Egytpt
5000 -
3100BCE
Early
Dynastic
Period:
3100 -
2686 BCE
The Old
Kingdom
2686 -
2181 BCE
1st
Intermediate
Period
2181 -
2134 BCE
The
Middle
Kingdom
2134 -
1782 BCE
2nd
Interm
ediate
Period
1782 -
1550 BCE
The New
Kingdom
1550 -
1069 BCE
3rd
Interm
ediate
Period
1069 -
664 BCE
The Late
Period
664 -
332 BCE
Ptolemaic
Egypt
332 - 30
BCE
Roman &
Byzantine
Egypt 30
BCE -
641 CE
4th Dynasty Ancient Egyptian History |