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Dynasty Notes

The fourth dynasty is the height of the Pyramid Age -- the huge monuments at Giza were built by Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure (Cheops, Chephren, Mycerinos) during this dynasty. The pharaohs moved to Memphis and sited their impressive funerary monuments on the Giza Plateau. The Egyptians were able to accompish the grand building of the Giza pyramids and other monuments of the dynasty because the previous years of peace had allowed focus on things other than war.

The evolution of the pyarmid from the Step Pyramid of Djoser and Sekhemkhet lead to the interim structure of the Pyramid of Maidum, then to the Bent Pryamid, and finally the first rue Pyramid, the Red Pyramid, built by Sneferu at the beginning of the dynasty. From his ecperiments, Khufu and Khafre built the monumental pyramids at Giza, accompanied by the samller version built by Menkaure.

After this, there will be several attempts to revive the pyramid as a funerary monument, but none will reach the heights that the fourth dynasty did.

The general consensus is that the pharaohs in the fourth Dynasty ruled as follows:

Sneferu
Khufu (Cheops)
Djedefre
khafre (Chephren)
Bakare
Menkaure
Shepseskaf
Djedefptah

However, some chronologies include Kauab as a ruler between Khufu and Djedefre, and Manetho adds an unattested king Ratoisis between Bakare and Menkaure (ruling 25 years) and another king Thamplitis after Shepsekaf (ruling 9 years). Other chronologies associate these kings with existing pharaohs of the dynasty.

But, while adding these two kings, he does not mention Djedefre at all.

 

pharaohs

Sneferu
Khufu (Cheops)
Kauab
Djedefre
khafre (Chephren)
Bakare
Menkaure
Shepseskaf
Djedefptah