The Pharaos

Pharaohs / Dynasty 12

Amenemhat IV

Pl. 71 · also Amenemhet IV, Maakherure

1815 BC to 1806 BC, about 9 years · Middle Kingdom

Modern phonetic rendering, not a copy of an inscription

Amenemhat IV succeeded Amenemhat III, under whom he may have served a brief coregency. His ascension came at a time when the prosperity of the Twelfth Dynasty was beginning to wane, though regular royal operations continued across Egypt and its frontiers.

He reigned from about 1815 BC to 1806 BC, with dates uncertain by about fifteen years. Amenemhat IV completed the decorative programme at the temple of Medinet Madi in the Fayum, which had been founded by his predecessor. Records in the Sinai indicate that royal mining expeditions to Serabit el-Khadim continued during his years on the throne, though on a much smaller scale.

Scholars know this king through occasional quarry inscriptions, cylinder seals, and entries in later king lists such as the Turin Canon. His burial place remains disputed; some scholars attribute the unfinished southern pyramid at Mazghuna to him, though conclusive evidence is lacking. Dying without a clear male heir, he was succeeded by Sobekneferu.

Monuments

  • Temple of Medinet Madi additions
  • Serabit el-Khadim inscriptions

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Dates are conventional and approximate. See method and sources.