Shepseskaf

Shepseskaf was the last recognised pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty. He ruled Egypt from Memphis for a short period of about 2503 to 2498 BC, with chronology uncertain by approximately twenty years. He was the son and successor of Menkaure.

Rather than building a pyramid at Giza like his predecessors, Shepseskaf broke dramatically with dynastic custom. He chose South Saqqara for his burial and erected the Mastabat al-Fir'aun, a colossal stone monument shaped like a vaulted chest or archaic shrine rather than a pyramid. Scholars debate whether this architectural shift reflected religious changes or administrative pressures near the close of the dynasty. Scholars know Shepseskaf primarily from New Kingdom king lists, the archaeological remains of his funerary complex, and inscriptions preserved in private tombs of contemporary courtiers.

Monuments

• Mastabat al-Fir'aun at South Saqqara

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Try the name on the Cartouche Desk, or see where the reign falls on the timeline.