Kanefer

See also article Kanefer (High Priest of Ptah).
Kanefer
Prince of Egypt
Issue Kawab
Kanefer II
Meresankh
Father Sneferu?
Burial Dahshur
Religion Ancient Egyptian religion
Occupation Vizier

Kanefer ("His Ka is beautiful") is the name of an Ancient Egyptian prince. He lived during the 4th or early 5th dynasty of the Old Kingdom period.[1][2]

Identity

According to Rainer Stadelmann and Michael Haase, Kanefer may have been a son of King Sneferu. Their assumption is based on the architectural features of Kanefer's tomb, which were rather typical for the beginning of the 4th dynasty.[3] Other Egyptologists, such as Wolfgang Helck and Peter Der Manuelian, doubt this dating and believe that Kanefer lived at the end of the 4th dynasty, or at the very beginning of the 5th dynasty. They point out, that Kanefer's tomb lies unusually far away from Snefru's Red Pyramid, even outsite of Snefru's family necropolis.[4]

Next to nothing is known about his family, the name of his wife is lost due damages on his tomb stela, but two of her titles, "female member of the elite" and "priestess of Hathor", is preserved.[4] She bore several children to Kanefer - Kawab, Kanefer II and Meresankh.

Career

Kanefer held the position of a vizier. He also was "son of the king", "member of the elite", "army general", "overseer of the commissions" and "leader of the royal archers".[4]

Tomb

Kanefer was interred in mastaba DAM 15 at Dahshur. In his tomb, heavily broken fragments of a doorslab stela were found.[4]

References

  1. Aidan Dodson, Dyan Hilton: The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt. The American University in Cairo Press, Kairo 2004, ISBN 977-424-878-3, p. 52–61.
  2. Edwards, et al., The Cambridge Ancient History: Early History of the Middle East. Cambridge University Press. 1971. Retrieved via Google Books.
  3. Michael Haase: Das Feld der Tränen. König Snofru und die Pyramiden von Dahschur. Ullstein, München 2000, ISBN 3-550-07141-8, p. 217–219.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Peter Der Manuelian: Slab Stelae of the Giza Necropolis (= Publications of the Pennsylvania-Yale Expedition to Egypt, Volume 7). Peabody Museum of Natural History of Yale University. New Haven/ Philadelphia 2003, ISBN 0974002518, p. 42–44; obj. No. 55b.