Egypt 2 - Dynasties 4-6 Trivia Quiz

Answer: 40

He is supposed to have brought 70,000 captives back from Nubia and later on much loot from Libya.
There is a story of how he was bored and got twenty beautiful girls dressed in nets to row him round a lake. After a while they stopped because the girl steering had lost a turquoise amulet overboard and she wanted the amulet back. and would not accept a replacement. The king's magician folded back the water of the lake and found it.

Answer: 76 mm

It is made of ivory and is damaged. His Horus name survives on one side of the throne.
His full name is Khnum-Khufu and is often known as Cheops after the Greek version of his name. He had a reputation for being a tyrannical ruler.
If he was buried in what is called the King's Chamber he wanted be the only ruler to be buried above ground level.

Answer: Diorite gneiss

The famous predynastic palates which are often described as being slate are in fact mudstone - other mistakes have also been made, early archaeologists seem to have been bad geologists.
He was called Chephren by Herodotus and his pyramid is smaller than his father Khufu's but as it is placed higher it appears to be larger. His pyramid retains the most associated buildings of any of the pyramids. There was usually a mortuary temple next to the pyramid and a valley temple connected to it by a long, carved causeway (Khufu's causeway was 739.8 metres long and probably 40 metres high at one point).

Answer: A chamber with decorative carving on the walls

There had been boundary walls and portcullises in other pyramid complexes.
The chamber had carvings of false doors to produce an effect something like panelling.
In later years the pyramid town built to support his cult was described by one author as a 'sacred slum' as people crowded in apparently to take advantage of the tax exemption that this gave them.
Unlike his predecessors Menkaure had a good reputation. According to a story this annoyed the gods who had decreed 150 years of hardship for Egypt, so they announced through an oracle that he would only rule for six years. To get round it Menkaure did not sleep and lived during the night by lamplight so he got twelve years of life.

Answer: Shepseskaf

Shepseskaf was buried in a strange tomb which has been described as looking like a sarcophagus.
There were two queens called Khentkawes about a generation apart who seem to have ruled as kings. One seems to have been transitional to the fifth dynasty and had a tomb shaped like Shepseskaf's. It was at Giza and had a small L shaped town for her mortuary cult workers which had an underpass.
A large pyramid was started at Zawiyet-el-Aryan which may have belonged to a forgotten king who ruled between Khafre and Menkaure. Some inscriptions seem to show it belonged to a king whose name could be Wehemka or Nebka or Baka. Possibly, he was remembered as Nebkare or Baufre or Bicheris by Manetho.
Radjedef was the successor of Khufu (Cheops) and started a pyramid at Abu Roash eight kilometres north of Giza but due west of Heliopolis (the city of the sun) which may be significant as he was the first king with the sun god Ra into his name.

Answer: South

This is unique. They are normally to the east. Some people believe this is caused by Userkaf's attempts to get as close as possible to Djoser's step pyramid.
According to legend a priest called Djedi predicted the birth of triplets who would become kings - Userkaf, Sahure and Neferirkare. When they were born they were 1 cubit long with limbs covered in gold and a real lapis lazuli headdress!

Answer: It is the first pyramid with an inscription

Unas was also known as Wenis.
The pyramid texts which first appeared in Unas's pyramid consist of about 400 spells to ensure the well being of the king's spirit in the afterlife. No pyramid has them all, Unas has 228.
His pyramid was restored by Khaewaset a son of Ramses II who has been described as the first conservation archaeologist.

Answer: Teti

It is claimed Teti was murdered by his bodyguard. Userkare may have ruled briefly between Teti and Pepi I.
Djedefre is an alternate form of Radjedef who was the little known son and successor of Khufu.
Nebka is almost unknown and may be another fourth dynasty ruler.

Answer: Memphis got its modern name from Pepi's pyramid

The pyramid was called Men-nefer Pepi (the perfection of Pepi is established). The name was probably applied to the pyramid town (which supported his funerary cult) and spread to the rest of the city. The original name of Memphis was Ineb-hedj (white walls or white fortress).
Pepi I came to the throne young and ruled for possibly 50 years.

Answer: At least 70

Pepi II came to the throne when he was six and ruled either 64 or 94 years (in cursive writing they are easily confused) so he may have been a centenarian. In his tomb a noble called Harkuf who had led an expedition south from Aswan recorded a letter he got from the eight year old Pepi about a dancing pygmy he was bringing back. Pepi ordered that when he was on the boat Harkuf should 'station reliable people around him on the deck, lest he fall in the water! When he sleeps at night, ensure that reliable people sleep around him in his quarters. Make inspection ten times per night!' and said 'My majesty wants to see this pygmy more than the tribute of the Sinai or of Punt!