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Inscription IV-C: Personal name of Djedefre in a mountain hieroglyph, Water Mountain of Djedefre, New Valley, Western Desert, Egypt

Djedefre (also known as Djedefra and Radjedef; died c. 2558 BC) was an ancient Egyptian king (pharaoh) of the 4th Dynasty during the Old Kingdom. Djedefre was the son and immediate throne successor of Khufu, the builder of the Great Pyramid of Giza; his mother is not known for certain. He is the king who introduced the royal title Sa-Rê (meaning “Son of Ra”) and the first to connect his cartouche name with the sun god Ra.[1] His name is said to mean “Enduring like Re” and his Horus name was Kheper which is said to mean “Horus Appears”. Based on the lost work Chronographiai by Sextus Julius Africanus (c. 160–240), possibly inspired by earlier work of Manetho (c. 290–260 BC), of which some later translations have survived it was early on suggested that the throne name of Djedefre was Ratoises.

Not to be confused with the 5th Dynasty ruler Djedkare Isesi.

Family

See also: Fourth Dynasty of Egypt family tree

While it is known that Djedefre was the son of 4th Dynasty ruler Khufu the rest of his genealogy is not fully certain with much being speculation. He is believed to have been the son of Khufu, either with second (possibly third) wife Khentetka or first wife Meritites I. As such his purported known siblings (or half siblings) would have been:[2]

  • Hetepheres II – a princess who married brother (or half brother) Kawab then married Djedefre (though this may have been honorary).
  • Khafre – 4th Dynasty ruler
  • Djedefhor (also Hordjedef) – a prince about which little is known. He is thought to be buried in tomb “G 7210 +7220” of the Giza East Field.
  • Meresankh II – a princess who is thought to have married (possibly half brother) Horbaef. It has been suggested that she then married Djedefre or Khafre. Buried in tomb “G 7410 +7420” of the Giza East Field.
  • Kawab – a prince known to have married his sister Hetepheres II. Thought to be buried in tomb “G 7110 +7120” of the Giza East Field.[3]

with others suggested as possible including Horbaef, Khufukhaf (who may actually be Khafre) and Minkhaf

Like much in the history of the 4th Dynasty of Egypt the wives of Djedefre are not known with complete certainy. It is generally bilieved that he married his sister Hetepheres II and Khentetenka. A number of possible childern of Djedefre have been proposed with varying degrees of textual support:

  • Hornit – based on a partial offering table found in mastaba F-13 in the Djedefre cemetery and two limestone statue bases and one statue (Cairo CG 544) all of unknown provenance (Cairo CG 57013 and Louvre E. 12630 93).[4]
  • Setka – known from a scribe statue found in his father’s pyramid complex.[5] It is possible that he ruled for a short while after his father’s death; an unfinished pyramid at Zawiyet el-Arian was started for a ruler whose name ends in ka; this could have been Setka or Baka.
  • Neferhetepes (“Her Peace/Grace Is Beautiful”) – known from a statue fragment from Abu Rowash. Until recently, she was believed to be the mother of a pharaoh of the next dynasty, either Userkaf or Sahure.
  • Baka/Bakai – based on a scribe statue base (CG 57004) from the eastern annex of the royal temple and a statue (CG 176 [photo 15]) of unknown provenance. It has been suggested that this is Bikheris.[4]
  • Itysen – known from a statue found at Abu Roash.[6]
  • Nikaou-Rêdjedef – based on a false door (Louvre E. 16263) in Tomb F15 in the Djedefre cemetery.[4]
Statue of Setka inscribed with his name and titles, in the Louvre
Block inscribed with the cartouche of king Djedefre – Nubian Museum

Reign

Cartouche name of Djedefre in the Abydos-List – name shows honorific transposition, being written in the order Ra-Djed-Ef
Red Quartzite head of Djedefre, likely a part of a Ka statue, in the Louvre
Red Quartzite feet of a statue of Djedefre, likely a part of a Ka statue, in the Louvre. The statue fragment also includes his Horus name Kheper, alongside a cartouche of his name.

In the early days of archaeology the numerous errors in the works of Herodotus on this subject caused much confusion on the names and order of 4th Dynasty rulers.[7]

Djedefre is usually given a reign of between 7 and 9 years. An inscription, thought to be of Djedefre, was found written on the underside of one of the massive roofing-block beams which covered Khufu’s southern boat-pits at Giza by Egyptian work crews. The inscription read “the year after the 11th count, 1st month of Peret, 24th day’” which suggests that reigned for at least 11 years and even at least 23 years (this is based on whether the cattle count is annual or biannual which is uncertain. The attribution to Djedefre has been disputed.[8][9] It has been noted that the marks and inscriptions of the blocks from Khufu’s boat pit seem to form a coherent collection relating to the different stages of the same building project realised by Djedefre’s crews.[10][11]

It has been noted that the French-Swiss team excavating Djedefre’s pyramid have discovered that this king’s pyramid was really finished in his reign. Djedefre’s pyramid largely made use of a natural rock promontory which represented around 45% of its core; the side of the pyramid was 200 cubits long and its height was 125 cubits.[8] The original volume of the monument of Djedefre, hence, approximately equalled that of Menkaura‘s own pyramid.[8] Therefore, the argument that Djedefre enjoyed a short reign because his pyramid was unfinished is somewhat discredited.[9]

It has been suggested that a currently unidentified 4th Dynasty pharaoh who was buried in Zawiyet al-Aryan immediately preceded or followed Djedefre.[12]

Pyramid complex

The ruined pyramid of Djedefre at Abu Rawash

Djedefre continued the move north in the location of pyramids by building his (now ruined) pyramid at Abu Rawash, some 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) to the north of Giza. It is the northernmost part of the Memphite necropolis. Abu Rawash is a 150 meter high plateau and would have been visible from Heliopolis 22 kilometers away. The plateau is divided into two parts with the 4th Dynasty remains being on the Western side. Objects with the names of First Dynasty Kings Aha and Den have been found in the eastern section.[13] To the east of the pyramid of Djedefre there is a cemetery of nobles from his reign (Cemetery F).[14][15] Nearby is another structure, Lepsius 1, which is either the base of an unfinished pyramid or of a mastaba, both have been suggested. It was examined in 1985 by Nabil Swelim who deemed it a 3rd Dynasty construct but that is uncertain.[16]

Abu Rawash was described by Howard Vyse, of the Prussian Expedition in 1837.[17] The site was surveyed in the mid and late 1800s by Karl Richard Lepsius and by Flinders Petrie.[18][19] Émile Chassinat worked at the site in around 1900 followed by Pierre Lacau in 1912-1913.[20] In modern times it was surveyed by Maragioglio, Vito, and Celeste A. Rinaldi.[21] Extensive excavations were conducted by Michel Valloggia in 1995-2007.[22][8][23]

Modern excavation found a block “Year 1 of the count, 3rd month of Peret” in the descending corridor of Djedefre’s pyramid indicating he began his construction early in his reign. The pyramid would have originally measured 106 meters by 106 meters with a height of 67 meters. The lower courses were clad in pink granite. The burial pit was case in limestone and then pink granite and was covered by three courses of granite beams laid in chevron.[24][8]

While Egyptologists previously assumed that his pyramid at this heavily denuded site was unfinished upon his death, more recent excavations from 1995 to 2005 have established that it was indeed completed. The most recent evidence indicates that its current state is the result of extensive plundering in later periods. The destruction started at the end of the New Kingdom at the latest, and was particularly intense during the Roman and early Christian eras c. 2,000 years ago) when a Coptic monastery was built in nearby Wadi Karin, while “the king’s statues [were] smashed as late as the 2nd century AD.” As a result of Djedefre’s pyramid being quarried for its stone, as such, there is little left standing today. It has been proven, moreover, that at the end of the nineteenth century, stone was still being hauled away at the rate of three hundred camel loads a day.[25]

Next to the pyramid, which has a volume of 131,043 cubic meters, there is a rock cut boat pit which measures 35 meters in length.[26]

In 2019, in a burial pit 1.8 kilometers to the east of the pyramid and funerary complex of Djedefre, two statues were found. One of stone held the name of Djedefre and the other, made of Egyptian acacia wood, is also believed to be of that pharaoh.[27]

References

  1. ^ Müller, Hans Wolfgang, “Der Gute Gott Radjedef, Sohn des Rě”, Zeitschrift für Ägyptische Sprache und Altertumskunde 91.1-2, pp. 129-133, 1964
  2. ^ [1]Snape, Steven, “Some Ramesside appropriations of ancient Memphis”, Egypt, pp. 187-19, 2015.
  3. ^ Stadelmann, R., “The Prince Kawab, Oldest Son Of Khufu”, in Offerings to the Discerning Eye. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill, pp. 295–300, 2010
  4. ^ a b c [2]Baud, Michel, et al., “Le cimetière F d’Abou Rawach, nécropole royale de Rêdjedef (IVe dynastie)”, Bulletin de l’Institut français d’archéologie orientale 103, 2020
  5. ^ [3]Ziegler, Christiane, “Setka, eldest son of king Djedefre, as a scribe”, Arnold, Do. et al., Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids, pp. 250-251, 2000
  6. ^ Mostafa Waziry and Mohamed El-Seaidy, “Private Old Kingdom statue of Ity-sen at Abu Rawash”, In Miroslav Bárta, Zahi Hawass, and Mohamed Megahed (eds), Living at the wall: studies in honor of Mark Lehner, Prague: Charles University, Faculty of Arts, pp. 405-413, 2024, ISBN 9788076711648
  7. ^ Lloyd, Alan B, “Herodotus’ Account of Pharaonic History”, Historia: Zeitschrift Für Alte Geschichte, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 22–53, 1988
  8. ^ a b c d e M. Vallogia, “La descenderie de la pyramide de Radjedef 4 Abu Rawash”, in C. Berger and B. MA’ a (eds.), Etudes sur l’ancien Empire et la nécropole de Saqqara dédiées a Jean-Philippe Laver. Tome 2, Orientalia Monspeliensia IX, Montpellier, pp. 417-428, 1997
  9. ^ a b Verner, Miroslav, “Archaeological Remarks on the 4th and 5th Dynasty Chronology”, Archiv Orientální, Volume 69, pp. 363-418, 2001
  10. ^ [4]Von Dieter Arnold, “Überlegungen zum Problem des Pyram idctibaucs”, MDAIK 37, pp. 15-28 , 1981
  11. ^ M. Verner, “Baugraffiti der Ptahshepses-Mastaba”, Praha: Universitas Carolina Pragensis [Abusir II], 1992
  12. ^ Roth, A., “Chapter 10 Political Patterns in Pyramid Placement: Why Old Kingdom Pyramids Are Where They Are”, in In the House of Heqanakht, Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill, pp. 134–151, 2022
  13. ^ “Wooden sheets of 1st dynasty funerary boat found at egypt’s abu rawash”, Al – Ahram Gate, Jul 09 2013
  14. ^ [5]Semenenko, Illia, “Non-royal cemeteries of Memphite Region in the Late Predynastic-Early Dynastic period as a distinct corpus of mortuary evidence”, 2025.
  15. ^ Belmonte, Juan Antonio, Mosalam Shaltout, and Magdi Fekri, “Astronomy, landscape and symbolism: a study of the orientation of ancient Egyptian temples”, In search of cosmic order, selected essays on Egyptian archaeoastronomy, pp. 211-82, 2009
  16. ^ Swelim, Nabil, “The Brick Pyramid at Abu Rawash Number’I’by Lepsius: A Preliminary Study”, Archaeological Society of Alexandria, 1987
  17. ^ Vyse, H. and J. S. Perring, “Operations Carried out on the Pyramids of Gizeh 1937”, London, James Fraser, 1840
  18. ^ Lepsius, K. R, “Denkmaeler aus Aegypten und Aethiopien”, Berlin, Nicolaische Buchhandlung, 1849-1856
  19. ^ [6]Petrie, W. M. F., “The Pyramids and Temples of Gizeh”, London, Field and Tuer, 1843
  20. ^ Chassinat, E., “Abu Roash”, CRAIBL 1, Sept. Oct.: 616-9, 1901
  21. ^ Maragioglio, Vito, and Celeste A. Rinaldi, “L’architettura delle piramidi Menfite. 5:[Testo]. Le piramidi de Zedefrâ e di Chefren” Officine Grafiche Canessa, 1966
  22. ^ Valloggia, M., “Les choix architecturaux de la pyramide de Redjedef à Abu Rawash”, L’art de l’Ancien Empire égyptien, Louvres, Paris, Musée du Louvres, 1999
  23. ^ Valloggia, M., “The ‘Unfinished’ Pyramids of the Fourth Dynasty. The Treasures of the Pyramids. Z. Hawass. Cairo, AUC Press, pp. 224-35, 2003
  24. ^ [7]Dickinson, Tessa, “A Landscape and Materials-Based Approach to Royal Mortuary Architecture in Early Third Millennium BC Egypt”, Dissertatin, UCL (University College London), 2014
  25. ^ Verner, Miroslav, “The Pyramids (New and Revised): The Archaeology and History of Egypt’s Iconic Monuments, American University in Cairo Press, 2021 ISBN 9781649032089
  26. ^ Creasman, Pearce Paul, and Noreen Doyle, “From Pit to Procession: The Diminution of Ritual Boats and the Development of Royal Burial Practices in Pharaonic Egypt”, Studien Zur Altägyptischen Kultur, vol. 44, pp. 83–101, 2015
  27. ^ [8]Atwa, Dina M., et al., “Biodeterioration assessment of a unique old pharaonic kingdom wooden statue using advanced diagnostic techniques”, Applied Sciences, 12(14), 7020, 2020

Further reading

  • [9]Bárta, Miroslav, “Radjedef to the Eighth Dynasty”, UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology 1.1, 2017
  • [10]Berger, Friedrich, “Djedefre’s water mountain: phases of degradation”, Rock Art Research: The Journal of the Australian Rock Art Research Association (AURA) 27.2, pp. 185-194, 2010
  • [11]Bussmann, Richard, “Pyramid Age: Huni to Radjedef”, UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology 1.1, 2015
  • [12]El-Awadí, Tárek Mohamed, “Pyramid causeway in the Old Kingdom: evolution of the architecture and definition of the relief decoration program”, Doctoral Thesis, 2006
  • Gourdon, Yannis, “«The Royal Necropolis of Radjedef at Abu Rawash (seasons 2001-2005)”, dans M. Bárta, F. Coppens, J. Krejcí (éd.), Abusir and Saqqara in the Year 2005. Proceedings of the Conference Held in Prague (June 27–July 5, 2005), p. 105-108, 2006
  • Haase, Michael, “«Goldenster der Falken, Sohn des Re» Seit 1995 finden am Grabmal des Königs Djedefre umfangreiche Ausgrabungen statt–von Schutt und Sand befreit, gibt diese Nekropole ihre Geheimnisse preis”, Antike Welt 38.3, pp. 53-61, 2007
  • Haase, Michael, “Das Vermächtnis des Djedefre”, Archäologie in Deutschland, pp. 14-19, 2014
  • Kuhlmann, Klaus Peter, “Der Wasserberg des Djedefre (Chufu oi/i) Ein Lagerplatz mit Expeditionsinschriften der 4. Dynastie im Raum der Oase Dachla”, Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts, Abteilung Kairo 61, pp. 243-289, 2005
  • [13]Marchand, Sylvie, and Baud Michel, “La céramique miniature d’Abou Rawash. Un dépôt à l’entrée des enclos orientaux”, Bulletin de l’Institut français d’archéologie orientale, 1996
  • Negro, Giancarlo, Vincenzo de Michele, and Benito Piacenza, “The lost ochre quarries of King Cheops and Djedefre in the Great Sand Sea (western desert of Egypt)”, Sahara (Segrate) 16, pp. 121-127, 2005
  • Regueras, Ignacio Ares, “Djedefra: el faraón redescubierto”, Revista de arqueología 29.327, pp. 14-21, 2008
  • [14]Valloggia, Michel, “Le complexe funéraire de Radjedef à Abou Roasch: état de la question et perspectives de recherches”, Bulletin de la Société française d’égyptologie 130.1, pp. 5-17, 1994
  • Valloggia, M., “Le complexe funéraire de Radjedef à Abou Roasch : état de la question et perspectives de recherches”, BSFE 130, pp. 12-3, 1994
  • Valloggia, M., “Le complexe funéraire de Radjedef à Abu-Roasch”, BIFAO 95, pp. 545-51, 1995
  • Valloggia, Michel, “Le complexe funéraire de Radjedef à Abu Rawash: Bilan et perspectives au terme de dix saisons” (The Funerary Complex of Radjedef at Abu Rawash: Results and Perspectives of Ten Seasons), Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta, Vol. 150, pp. 1861-1868, 2007.