Shepseskare was a Fifth Dynasty Egyptian pharaoh whose existence and reign remain largely a mystery to Egyptologists. This article aims to present what we know of Shepseskare and the questions that still surround his reign.
An uncertain reign
Egyptologists do not all agree on the very existence of Shepseskare. His name appears on some royal lists, including the Turin Papyrus, but he is absent from the Palermo Stone. Scholars debate his place in the Fifth Dynasty and the length of his reign. Some believe he reigned for only a few years, while others believe he may have been a shadow king or a usurper.
Archaeological discoveries and attestations
Archaeological evidence regarding Shepseskare is scarce. Few monuments or inscriptions are known to bear his name. A black granite statue, now housed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, is the only known representation of this pharaoh.
Seals bearing Shepseskare's name have also been discovered at Abusir, suggesting that construction may have taken place during his reign. However, no pyramid or other funerary complex has been attributed to him with certainty.
Shepseskare and the Fifth Dynasty
The little information available on Shepseskare makes it difficult to determine his role in the Fifth Dynasty. Some Egyptologists believe he could have been a son of Neferefre and a brother of Nyuserre, while others believe he could have been a distant member of the royal family or even a usurper.
Shepseskare remains an enigmatic figure in Egyptian history. Egyptologists continue to debate his existence, reign, and place in the Fifth Dynasty. The rare archaeological discoveries and inscriptions that mention his name do not yet allow definitive conclusions to be drawn about this mysterious pharaoh.
📋 LIST OF EGYPTIAN SOVEREIGNS 📋
Hotepsekhemwey / Sneferka / Nebra / ninetjer / Senedj / Noubnefer / Horus Ba / Peribsen / Sekhemib / Khasekhemwy / Neferkasokar / | |||
Djoser / Sanakht / Sekhemkhet / Spoon / Huni | |||
Sekhemre-Khutaouy Amenemhat-/Sobekhotep I/Sekhemkare Amenemhat-Senbef/Sekhemkare Amenemhat V/Ameny-Qemaou/Hotepibre Qémaou-Sa-Hornejhéritef/Ioufeni/Séânkhibrê Amény-Antef-Amenemhat (or Amenemhat VI)/Semenkarê Nebnoun/Sehotepibrê Sousekhtaouy | |||
Sekhaenre Yakbim/Nebuuserre Yaammou/Khauserre Qareh | |||
Semqen/Aper-Anat/Sakir-Har/Khyan/Apophis I/Apophis II?/Khamoudy | |||
/Sekhemre-Sementaouy Djehouty/Sekhemre-Sousertaouy Sobekhotep VIII | |||
Twenty-first dynasty | |||
Twenty-second dynasty | |||
Twenty-third dynasty | |||
Twenty-fourth dynasty | |||
1st Persian Dynasty | |||
Thirty-first dynasty (Achaemenid) | 2nd Persian Dynasty | ||