The Pharaos

Pharaohs / Dynasty 6

Netjerkare Siptah

Pl. 44 · also Nitocris, Neitiqerti

2183 BC to 2181 BC, about 2 years · Old Kingdom

Modern phonetic rendering, not a copy of an inscription

Netjerkare Siptah reigned about 2183 to 2181 BC, with dates uncertain by about twenty-five years. He was the final ruler of the Sixth Dynasty, governing from Memphis during the transition into the First Intermediate Period. Later historical traditions conflated his name with the legendary queen Nitocris, though modern scholarship recognises Netjerkare as a male king.

His brief reign of approximately two years took place against a backdrop of severe administrative breakdown and regional autonomy. No royal tomb or major monuments are known for him, reflecting the poverty of the central court at the end of the Old Kingdom. Scholars identify him through royal catalogues such as the Abydos King List and the Turin Papyrus. His rule closed the dynasty, after which Menkare took the throne.

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Dates are conventional and approximate. See method and sources.