Middle Kingdom
Mentuhotep IV (Nebtawyre)
11th Dynasty (all Egypt) · 2055-1985 BCE
Open full-size illustration →Source: Shaw, Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (2000)
Background
Mentuhotep IV, throne name Nebtawyre, was the last ruler of the Eleventh Dynasty and is among the most obscure kings of the Middle Kingdom, omitted from several later official king lists such as the Turin Canon and the Abydos King List. Nearly everything known about his brief reign comes from a single major source: rock inscriptions left at Wadi Hammamat by an expedition sent in his second regnal year under his vizier, Amenemhat. The unusual absence of any securely attributed pyramid or completed royal tomb, combined with his disappearance from later king lists, has long fueled speculation that his reign ended through a violent or irregular transfer of power to that same vizier. Research: UCL Digital Egypt; Metropolitan Museum.
Dating: Shaw, Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (2000)
Full profile
An obscure final reign
Mentuhotep IV is the final and most obscure ruler of the 11th Dynasty. Curiously, his name was deliberately omitted from several later official king lists, suggesting his rule may have been contested or ended illegitimately.
The rise of Amenemhat
His reign is best known for a massive quarrying expedition sent to the Wadi Hammamat. This expedition of 10,000 men was led by his powerful vizier, Amenemhat. Ancient inscriptions claim the journey was blessed by miracles, including a pregnant gazelle giving birth on the exact stone they needed. Historians heavily suspect that this same vizier eventually orchestrated a coup, overthrowing Mentuhotep IV to crown himself as Amenemhat I—the founder of the legendary 12th Dynasty.
Two miracles at Wadi Hammamat
The expedition's four large rock stelae, dated to Mentuhotep IV's second regnal year, record that its purpose was to quarry bekhen-stone, a hard greywacke prized for royal sarcophagi, for the king's own burial. The inscriptions describe two events read as divine omens: a gazelle giving birth directly on the very block selected for the sarcophagus, and an unexpected flash flood that filled a well with clear water, solving the expedition's water shortage in the middle of the desert. Vizier Amenemhat's account presents both as unmistakable signs of royal favor, framing an ordinary quarrying mission as a moment touched by the gods.
Sources for this profile
- Baker, D. D. (2008). The Encyclopedia of the Pharaohs: Volume 1. Stacey International.
- Shaw, I. (Ed.). (2000). The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. Oxford University Press.
- Ryholt, K. (2004). The Turin King-list. Ägypten und Levante, 14, 135–155.
- Dodson, A., & Hilton, D. (2004). The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson.
- University College London. Digital Egypt for Universities.
The complete, APA-formatted reference list is on the Academic Sources & Bibliography page.