| Amenemhat IV | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Ammenemes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![Small gneiss sphinx inscribed with the name of Amenemhat IV that was reworked in Ptolemaic times now is on display at the British Museum.[1]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aFrente_de_la_esfinge_de_Amenemhat_IV%2c_British_Museum.jpg) Smallgneiss sphinx inscribed with the name of Amenemhat IV that was reworked inPtolemaic times now is on display at theBritish Museum.[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pharaoh | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reign | 9 years 3 months and 27 days 1822–1812 BC,[2] 1815–1806 BC,[3] 1808–1799 BC,[4] 1807–1798 BC,[5] 1786–1777 BC,[6] 1772–1764 BC[7] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coregency | most likely 2 years withAmenemhat III | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Predecessor | Amenemhat III | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Successor | Sobekneferu | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Children | uncertain, possibly Ameny,Sekhemre Khutawy Sobekhotep, andSonbef[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Father | uncertain, possiblyAmenemhat III (perhaps as adoptive father) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mother | Hetepti | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Burial | uncertainSouthern Mazghuna pyramid ? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dynasty | 12th Dynasty | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Amenemhat IV (also known asAmenemhet IV) was the seventh and penultimate[5] king of the lateTwelfth Dynasty of Egypt during the lateMiddle Kingdom period. He arguably ruled around 1786–1777 BC for about nine regnal years.[10][3]
Amenemhat IV may have been the son, grandson, son-in-law, or stepson of his predecessor, the powerfulAmenemhat III. His reign started with a seemingly peaceful two-year coregency with Amenemhat III. He undertook expeditions in the Sinai forturquoise, in Upper Egypt foramethyst, and to theLand of Punt. He also maintained trade relations withByblos as well as continuing the Egyptian presence inNubia.
Amenemhat IV built some parts of the temple ofHathor atSerabit el-Khadim in the Sinai, and constructed the well-preserved temple ofRenenutet inMedinet Madi. The tomb of Amenemhat IV has not been identified, although theSouthern Mazghuna pyramid is a possibility.
Amenemhat IV was succeeded bySobekneferu, 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 theSecond Intermediate Period.
Amenemhat IV's mother was a woman named Hetepti. Hetepti's only known attestation is an inscription on the wall of the temple ofRenenutet 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".[10] 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.[11] 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.[12]
The relationship of Amenemhat IV to Amenemhat III is debated. Amenemhat IV was the son of Amenemhat III according toManetho, but as he isn't called a "King's Son" in any known reference to him, some historians believe that he was a grandson.[10][6] 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.[13]
Africanus' epitome ofManetho indicates that Amenemhat IV (Ammenemēs) was succeeded by his sisterSobekneferu (Skemiophris), who indeed ruled in her own right upon the death of Amenemhat IV and is attested as a daughter of Amenemhat III.[14] Sobekneferu is not known to have borne the title of "King's Wife" or "King's Sister" among her other titles. EgyptologistKim 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.[3]
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"[15]), Amenemhat IV may have died without a surviving male heir, which could explain why he was succeeded by Sobekneferu.[2]Kim Ryholt, followed byAidan Dodson, views the first two rulers of the Thirteenth Dynasty,Sobekhotep I andSonbef, as the sons of Amenemhat IV, based on what they consider the filiative nomen Amenemhat in their fuller names, Amenemhat Sobekhotep and Amenemhat Sonbef.[16] 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.[17]
TheTurin Canon, a king list redacted during the earlyRamesside period, records Amenemhat IV on Column 6, Row 1, and credits him with a reign of 9 years, 3 months and 27 days.[3] Amenemhat IV is also recorded on Entry 65 of theAbydos King List and Entry 38 of theSaqqara Tablet, both of which date to theNew Kingdom.
In spite of the Turin canon, the duration of Amenemhat IV's reign is uncertain. It was given as eight years under the nameAmmenemēs in Africanus' epitome of Manetho'sAegyptiaca.[14] 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 ofscarab- andcylinder-seals.[18]
Amenemhat IV first came to power as a junior coregent[19] of his predecessorAmenemhat III, 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.[19] The length of this coregency is uncertain; it could have lasted from one to seven years,[19] although most scholars believe it was only two years long.[10][19]
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Four expeditions to the turquoise mines ofSerabit el-Khadim in theSinai 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 toAhmose I's reign, some 200 years later.[10]
In Year 2 of Amenemhat IV an expedition was sent to mineamethyst in the Wadi el-Hudi in southern Egypt. The leader of the expedition was theassistant treasurer Sahathor.[20]
During his reign, important trade relations must have existed with the city ofByblos on the coast of modern-dayLebanon, where an obsidian and gold chest as well as a jar lid bearing Amenemhat IV's name have been found.[10] A gold plaque showing Amenemhat IV offering to a deity may also originate there.[21]
In 2010, a report on continuing excavations atWadi Gawasis on theRed Sea coast notes the finding of two wooden chests and an ostracon inscribed with ahieratic text mentioning an expedition to the fabledLand of Punt in regnal year 8 of Amenemhat IV, under the direction of the royal scribe Djedy.[22] Two fragments of a stela depicting Amenemhat IV and dating to his regnal year 7 were found atBerenice on the Red Sea.[23][24]
InNubia, threenilometer records are known fromKumna that are explicitly dated to regnal years 5, 6, and 7, showing that Egyptian presence in the region was maintained during his lifetime.[10]
Amenemhat IV completed thetemple ofRenenutet andSobek atMedinet Madi that had been started byAmenemhat III.[25][26][27] It is "the only intact temple still existing from the Middle Kingdom" according toZahi Hawass, former Secretary-General of Egypt'sSupreme Council of Antiquities (SCA).[28] 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 northeasternFayum at Qasr el-Sagha.[29]
Amenemhat IV is responsible for the completion of a shrine at thetemple of Hathor in the Sinai[30] and may also have undertaken works inKarnak where a pedestal for a sacred barque inscribed with the names of Amenemhat III and Amenemhat IV was found in 1924.[10][31][32][33][34]
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.
[1] He often is associated with the ruinedSouthern Mazghuna pyramid. No inscriptions have been found within the pyramid to determine the identity of its owner, but its architectural similarity[35] with the second pyramid of Amenemhat III atHawara has led Egyptologists to date the pyramid to the late Twelfth Dynasty or early Thirteenth Dynasty.[36] Less likely, Amenemhat IV could have been interred in Amenemhat III'sfirst pyramid in Dahshur, since his name has been found on an inscription in the mortuary temple.[10]
[2] AtDahshur, next to the pyramid ofAmenemhat 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 theThirteenth 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.[37]
Less than half a decade after Amenemhat IV's death, the Twelfth Dynasty came to an end and was replaced by the much weakerThirteenth Dynasty.[3] 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.[3] The influx of Asiatic immigrants in theNile Delta that had started during the reigns of Amenemhat IV's predecessor accelerated under his own reign, becoming completely unchecked.[38] Under the Thirteenth Dynasty, the Asiatic population of the Delta founded an independent kingdom ruled by kings of Canaanite descent, forming theFourteenth Dynasty that reigned fromAvaris.[3] Approximately 80 years after the reign of Amenemhat IV, "the administration [of the Egyptian state] seems to have completely collapsed",[3] marking the start of theSecond Intermediate Period.
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).
| Preceded by | Pharaoh of Egypt Twelfth Dynasty | Succeeded by |
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