IVe Egyptian dynasty
The 4th dynasty which belongs to the Ancient Empire, is the dynasty which left most famous of all the monuments: the Pyramid S of Gizeh, without forgetting the Sphinx.
It covers one period of approximately -2670 with -2450 and begins under the reign from Snéfrou, father of Khéops.
Sovereigns of the 4th dynasty
See also: Family tree of IVe Egyptian dynasty
- Snéfrou, Snfrw (n° 20 above)
- Koufou, Ḫwfw , or Khéops (n° 21 above)
- Djédefrê, Ḏd.f rˁ , or Rêdjédef or Didoufri (n° 22 above)
- Khafrê, Ḫˁ F rˁ , or Khéphren (n°23 above)
- Baufrê or Baoufrê
- Baka or Bikarê
- Menkaourê, mn-kȝ.w (=f) - Rˁ , or Mykérinos (n° 24 above)
- Chepseskaf, Šps S k3=f , (n° 25 above)
- Djédefptah or Tamphthis
Appearance of the vizier
A vizier ( tjaty ), named by the king, takes the responsability for the central administration, assisted “directors of missions” which ensure the connection with the provincial administration. Chief of justice, it chairs the “house of the fields” (agriculture) and the “White House” (treasure). He directs the royal archives, controls the police force, public works, the river transport. As a supreme judge, it must into practice put the Maât (goddess of the Truth and Justice, girl of Re, principle of the universal order establishes by the demiurge), of which it carries the effigy around the neck.
The first vizier is the prince Néfermaât, wire of the king Snéfrou.
Economy and company
The development of the low-relief in the Mastaba S of stone of the civils servant starting from the 4th dynasty and especially under delivers a table of the activities of the bénéficiaux fields ( per-djet ) of the private individuals, agricultural activities and craft industry to us: diversity of the agricultural productions (corn, barley, flax), fishing, permanence of the Neolithic techniques (hoe, swing-plow, sickles with flint blade), experiments of domestication of the animals of the “desert” and the marshes (scenes of cramming of the cattle sheds and birdcages), large herds of bovines and sheep in the pastures of edge of the marshy zone bordering on the the Nile and in the delta.
The construction of the pyramids would have become an economic need, occupying the peasants during the rising of the Nile, and policy, inducing the creation of the first centralized State. Under Snéfrou, the pyramid of Meidoum, abandoned in the course of construction following its collapse, the construction of those of Daschour succeeds, (rhomboïdale and red).
Art and culture
The “style memphite” is characterized by a proud classicism which appears in the harmony of the straight lines and broad symmetrical masses.
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