Mykerinos (2490-2472)

Mykerinos (2490-2472)

Mykerinos was the penultimate king of the 4th Dynasty and the last one to build his funerary monument at Giza.

 

Mykerinos Quick Facts

Chronology
Dynasty: 4th
Predecessor: Bakare (?)
Successor: Shepseskaf
Highest Year: 11th Cattle Count
Reign: 2490 - 2472 BC.
Family
Father: Khefren
Mother: Khamernebti I
Wives: Khamernebti II e.a.
Children: Khentkaus I, Khunre, Shepseskaf

Biography of Mykerinos

 

Mykerinos, from a statue showing him along side his wife, Khamernebti II.
Source: Ziegler, L'art égyptien, pp. 226-227.

Mykerinos was the son of Khefren and Khamernebti I. He was married to his sister, Khamernebti II, with whom he had a son, Khunre, who died at young age.He probably had two other wives, but their names are not known. One of these wives bore him a son, Shepseskaf, his successor, and another bore him a daughter, Khentkaus I, who may later have married Userkaf, the first king of the 5th Dynasty. 
According to the Turin King-list, his rule lasted for 18 or 28 years. The highest attested year from Mykerinos' reign refers to the 11th cattle count or the year after the 11th cattle count. With a biennal cattle census, Mykerinos would at least have ruled for 21 or 22 years, which, in view of the fact that his funerary monument was left unfinished when he died, would seem too long. The general concensus appears to be towards an 18 year reign and an irregular cattle census.The Turin King-list also places another king between Khefren and Mykerinos, with an unknown number of years. This king may be the otherwise unattested Bakare, who may have been yet another son of Kheops’ or perhaps a son of Djedefre.
Contrary to Kheops and Khefren, Mykerinos was later seen as a benevolent and wise king. This may have been caused by the fact that his pyramid, built next to the pyramids of Kheops and Khefren at Giza, was slightly less than half the size of these two great pyramids. The mortuary temple built in front of his pyramid was completed, be it somewhat hastily, by his successor Shepseskaf.

The pyramid of Mykerinos at Giza, with that of Khefren in the background.

Mykerinos Statuary

Several statues representing Mykerinos have been found, most in the Valley Temple of his funerary complex at Giza.

Alabaster colossus of Mykerinos

The restored colossus.
Source: Arts of Ancient Egypt, pp. 80-81.

In 1907, different fragments of this colossal alabaster statue were found in a pit in Mykerinos' mortuary temple at Giza. Other fragments were uncovered in an adjacent corridor and the beautifully intact head, finally, in a robber's trench nearby. The fact that several fragments were found at different locations has led to believe that the statue was deliberately destroyed, perhaps by the same robbers who dug the trench where the head was found.
With its 2m35 in height, it was one of the largest colossi dated to the Old Kingdom to have been found thus far. Although it was not inscribed, the archaeological context makes it clear that this statue represents Mykerinos and that it was once part of his funerary cult. The identification of this colossus can further be confirmed by its facial traits which are very similar to the traits of other statues of that same king. This, however, does not imply that this or the other statues represented an actual portrait of Mykerinos.
The king is seated on a throne. He wears the usual nemes head dress, which, along with the uraeus and the false beard, is a sign of his royalty. For unknown reasons, the shoulders and torso are unusually large, making the head look quite small in comparison. This may have been done with the intent to stress the king's omnipotence. His right hand is clasped around a piece of cloth.

 

Detail of the head and hand of the Mykerinos colossus.
Source: Arts of Ancient Egypt, pp. 80-81.

It is now one of the many statues of Mykerinos on display at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

Alabaster head of Mykerinos

 

Front view of Mykerinos' Alabaster head.
Source: Schulz-Seidel e.a., Egypte. Het land van de farao's, p. 42.

A lovely head in Egyptian alabaster (calcite) of a statue of Mykerinos was found in Mykerinos' Valley Temple at Giza, among the remains several other statues, four of which were inscribed with Mykerinos' titulary.
The king's face is fresh and round, the eyes clearly marked. The nose is gentle and the mouth has a pronounced lower lip. He wears a false beard. The uraeus is carved onto the wig of this statue, with only its head protruding.
This head is quite exceptional in that the king is represented a wig instead of a crown or the royal nemes headdress, but does add to the intimacy it seems to reflect.

Statue of Mykerinos and Khamernebti II

 

Mykerinos and Khamernebti II.
Source: Ziegler, L'art égyptien, pp. 226-227.

This group statue is truly extraordinary, not only because it has been so beautifully preserved, but even more so because it shows the king accompanied by a woman who holding him in a loving embrace. 
Even though the statue does not bear any inscriptions, it is clear from the it was found during the excavations in his Valley Temple in Giza, that the king must be Mykerinos. This is confirmed by the facial similarity of this statue to other, identified statues of Mykerinos.

The woman is just slightly smaller than the king, but this is probably due to the height of the king's headdress, the nemes. She does not wear any crowns or a headdress that would identify her as a goddess, as is the case in the triad statues that were found in the Valley Temple of Mykerinos' funerary complex at Gia.
The fact that she has almost the same height as the king shows that she enjoyed a very high status.
Her loving embrace reveals an intimate relationship with the king and it can thus be concluded that she was a queen, most likely Khamernebti II.
 
Mykerinos is shown wearing the nemes headdress, a sign of his royalty. There is no sign of an uraeus on this statue.
The face is typical for statues representing Mykerinos, with high cheekbones, accented by the lines next to his nose, and clearly marked eyes.
His hands are clenched around what appears to be two cylinders, which may probably by stylised references to the royal sceptres.
He  is shown wearing a loin cloth consisting of three parts, yet another typical element in royal iconography.His left foot is striding forward, a sign of his male vigour.
 
Khamernebti's face is rounder than her husband's making it somewhat more feminine. She wears a tri-partite wig, but part of her real hair is visible underneath her wig. This was a typical feature of female statues in the Old Kingdom and was intended to stress the fact that this woman could indeed afford wearing a wig. She also wears a very tight fitting dress, which is only obvious because the hem is marked just above her feet.
This statue is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, representation of a queen along her husband. It is difficult to guess why Mykerinos would have chosen to have his wife represented with him in a statue. Romantics would argue that the loving embrace shows that the king and queen loved each other dearly and that they wanted their love to live on after death. But the real reason may perhaps be of a more ritual nature: the queen was the means through which the king could procreate and thus continue his own (after)life as well.

Excavation photo of the group statue of Mykerinos and Khamernebti II.

Triad of Wenet, Hathor and Mykerinos

Source: 114 Gods of Ancient Egypt.

This triad statue is rather unique compared to the other triad statues that were found in Mykerinos' Valley Temple at Giza. Where the other triads always have the king as the central figure, this triad features Hathor, sitting on a throne, hinting, perhaps, at a higher importance of a different function for this particular statue.
The king is standing to the left of the goddess, represented with the White Crown of Upper Egypt and wearing a short kilt. Contrary to tradition, he is not shown striding as his left foot is positioned only slightly more forward than the right foot.
The provincial goddess Wenet is shown to the right of Hathor. She represents the province of Hermopolis in Middle Egypt.

Triad of Hathor, Mykerinos and Diospolis

Several group statues, either complete or in fragments, were found in the Valley Temple of the funerary complex of Mykerinos at Giza during the excavations of 1908 to 1910.
They represent the king Mykerinos, in the middle, flanked by the goddess Hathor to his right, and a god or goddess symbolising a province to his left.

Hathor, Mykerinos and the goddess of the province of Diospolis.
Source: Tiradritti, Egyptian Treasures, p. 70.

Mykerinos is slightly taller than Hathor and usually a lot taller than the provincial god or goddess next to him. He wears the White Crown -symbolising Upper Egypt- a false beard and a tri-partite skirt. His facial features are typical for representations of him: the eyes are clearly marked, the cheekbones are high and pronounced and the mouth and nose are firm.
Conform to tradition, Mykerinos is shown striding, with his left foot forward.
Hathor is represented as a woman crowned with the cow's horns and solar disk that are typical of her. She wears a tight fitting dress, that can only be discerned by the hem just above her feet. Her face is rounder and more feminine than Mykerinos'. She has her left foot slightly forward, but not as much as Mykerinos.
The provincial goddess wears a headdress that identifies the province that she represents: Diospolis in Upper Egypt.
It was believed for a long time that there must have been as many group statues as there were provinces in Egypt: 42. But recently, it is assumed that there were only 8 statues, one for each province with a major cult for Hathor.

Triad of Hathor, Mykerinos and Thebes

Several group statues, either complete or in fragments, were found in the Valley Temple of the funerary complex of Mykerinos at Giza during the excavations of 1908 to 1910.
They represent the king Mykerinos, in the middle, flanked by the goddess Hathor to his right, and a god or goddess symbolising a province to his left.

Hathor, Mykerinos and the provincial god of Thebes.
Source: Tiradritti, Egyptian Treasures, p. 70.

Mykerinos is slightly taller than Hathor and usually a lot taller than the provincial god or goddess next to him. He wears the White Crown, symbolising Upper Egypt, a false beard and a tri-partite skirt. His facial features are typical for representations of him: the eyes are clearly marked, the cheekbones are high and pronounced and the mouth and nose are firm.
Conform to tradition, Mykerinos is shown striding, with his left foot forward.
Hathor is represented as a woman crowned with the cow's horns and solar disk that are typical of her. She wears a tight fitting dress, that can only be discerned by the hem just above her feet. Her face is rounder and more feminine than Mykerinos'. She has her left foot slightly forward, but not as much as Mykerinos.
The provincial god wears a headdress that identifies the province that he represents: Thebes.
It was believed for a long time that there must have been as many group statues as there were provinces in Egypt: 42. But recently, it is assumed that there were only 8 statues, one for each province with a major cult for Hathor.

Triad of Hathor, Mykerinos and Anpu

Several group statues, either complete or in fragments, were found in the Valley Temple of the funerary complex of Mykerinos at Giza during the excavations of 1908 to 1910.
They represent the king Mykerinos, in the middle, flanked by the goddess Hathor to his right, and a god or goddess symbolising a province to his left.

Hathor, Mykerinos and the provincial goddess of Anpu.
Source: Tiradritti, Egyptian Treasures, p. 71.

Mykerinos is slightly taller than Hathor and usually a lot taller than the provincial god or goddess next to him. He wears the White Crown, symbolising Upper Egypt, a false beard and a tri-partite skirt. His facial features are typical for representations of him: the eyes are clearly marked, the cheekbones are high and pronounced and the mouth and nose are firm.
Conform to tradition, Mykerinos is shown striding, with his left foot forward.
Hathor is represented as a woman crowned with the cow's horns and solar disk that are typical of her. She wears a tight fitting dress, that can only be discerned by the hem just above her feet. Her face is rounder and more feminine than Mykerinos'. She has her left foot slightly forward, but not as much as Mykerinos.

The provincial goddess wears a headdress that identifies the province that she represents: Anpu, the 17th nome of Upper Egypt.
It was believed for a long time that there must have been as many group statues as there were provinces in Egypt: 42. But recently, it is assumed that there were only 8 statues, one for each province with a major cult for Hathor.

Fragments of a triad group

A head with White Crown was found in the Valley Temple of the funerary complex of Mykerinos. Despite the fact that it has suffered some damage to the nose and chin, its archaeological context confirms that this head indeed belonged to a statue of Mykerinos.

 

Head fragment of a triad group, with the body of the group to the right.
Source: Ziegler, L'art égyptient, pp. 229-230.

Titulary of Mykerinos

Horus Name

1. Hr kA X.tHorus, (whose) body is that of a bull
2. Hr kA X.tHorus, (whose) body is that of a bull

Nebti Name

3. kA nb.tjBull of the Two Ladies

Golden Falcon Name

4. nTr(j) bik nbwThe golden falcon is divine

Prenomen

5. mn kA.w raMykerinos
6. mn kA raMykerinos

Kinglists

7. mn kA.w raMykerinos

Manetho
Africanus: Mencherês
Eusebius: Eusebius does not mention this king.Alternative names in modern-day literature
Menkaure, Menkawre, Menkaura, Menkawra, Mycerinos, Mykérinos, Mycérinos, Mykerinus, Mycerinus, Mykérinus, Mycérinus

Pyramid Complex at Giza

The last king to have built a pyramid at Giza was Mykerinos, the son of Khefren, who seems to have come to power after a short interregnum by the ephemeral king Bakare.
The pyramid of Mykerinos was built on the edge of the same rock formation that had also served as foundation for the pyramids of Kheops and Khefren. This did not leave enough room for Mykerinos to build his monument on a grand scale, which, at least in part, explains why his pyramid is significantly smaller than that of his two ancestors.
Another factor that played an important part in the downsizing of the royal pyramids after Khefren, may have been the fact that the mortuary and valley temples' sizes increased and used more expensive materials, and the fact that the building activity of a king was limited less and less to the building of his own funerary complex in favour of building temples for the gods.
The top of Mykerinos' pyramid does not lie in the same diagonal that was created by the tops of the two other pyramids at Giza. The southeast corners of all three pyramids, however, form a straight line which is believed to point at the temple of Heliopolis on the Nile's east bank.

Structure
Mykerinos' funerary complex was hastily completed by his successor, Shepseskaf. With an 18-year long reign, which is only 5 to 10 years less than the reigns of Kheops and Khefren, and a pyramid complex that is substantially smaller than those of his two ancestors, Mykerinos should have had enough time to finish his monument. This has led to the belief that the completion of a funerary complex may have been part of the burial rituals. 

Interactive map of the Pyramid Complex of Mykerinos at Giza.
Source: Lehner, Complete Pyramids, p. 137.

Almost all the elements that had already become traditional in the building of a pyramid complex, are also present here. A Valley Temple, located at the mouth of the main wadi, connects via a causeway leading west to the mortuary temple where the deceased king's funerary cult would be held.
The mortuary temple connects with and enclosure wall that surrounds the actual pyramid. 

Mykerinos' pyramid at Giza, casting its noon shadow on Khefren's in the background.

Outside the enclosure wall, to the south, there are three Queens' pyramids. The most eastern of these three pyramids, the only one to be truly pyramid shaped, was probably started as a satellite pyramid, but was converted for the burial of one of Mykerinos' queens later on. All three pyramids had small mudbrick chapels and most likely received a burial. Only in the middle pyramid, the body of an unidentified young woman was found.

Mykerinos' Pyramid at Giza

Mykerinos' Pyramid at Giza

Pyramid  
With a height of "only" 65 meters, the pyramid of Mykerinos is less than half the size of the two other pyramids in Giza. Its base area is less than a quarter of that of its two neighbours, and its total building mass is about 10 times less than that of the pyramid of Khefren. This has often been explained as a sign of the decline of the wealth and power of the 4th Dynasty, yet the high quality and craftsmanship of several statues of Mykerinos that were found in or near the funerary complex seem to contradict this. It is also interesting to note that most of the pyramids built during the 5th and 6th Dynasties, would be around the same size as Mykerinos’.
The pyramid was not completed when Mykerinos died and was only partially completed by his successor, Shepseskaf. The upper part was finished in the now traditional fine limestone from Turah, but 16 courses at the bottom were left undressed. This may show, at least for the pyramid of Mykerinos, that the outer casing was laid from top to bottom, probably while removing the ramp(s) that were used to haul the heavy blocks of red granite to the top.

The pyramid's internal structure is far more complex than those of the pyramids of Kheops and Khefren.The entrance lies about 4 meters above ground level in the north face of the pyramid. From there a passage slopes down for 31 meters to a first room. The walls of the first room are decorated with recessed panels, reminiscent of the false door motif that can be found in many non-royal tombs. Mykerinos' pyramid is the first royal tomb since Netjerikhet's at Saqqara, to have had some internal decoration.

Source: Lehner, Complete Pyramids, p. 134.

A look inside the antechamber.

At the opposite end of the panelled chamber, a horizontal corridor, once blocked by three portcullis blocks, continues towards the east-west oriented antechamber. The east end of the antechamber lies directly under the vertical axis of the pyramid.Directly above the point where the horizontal passage enters the antechamber, another passage opens and, after a short horizontal stretch, leads up into, and stops in, the pyramid core.
A descending passage opens in the middle of the floor of the antechamber and leads west, to the burial chamber that was carved out into the bedrock. It is encased entirely in granite. The ceiling of the burial chamber is rounded, but it was cut out of the undersides of the huge slabs that were laid in the form of a pented roof.
A dark sarcophagus, with the recessed panelling motif, was found empty and without its lid. It was removed to be sent to England, but unfortunately the ship carrying it sank.
A wooden coffin inscribed with the name of Mykerinos found in the pyramid, appears to be dated to the 26th Dynasty, and the few human remains seem to be of even more recent date.
Just before entering the burial chamber, a chamber with four niches in the east wall and two in the north, opens to the north of the passage. Similar chambers were found in later pyramids as well, be it that the number of niches was reduced to three.

Queens' Pyramids
Three smaller pyramids were built to the south of the enclosure wall of the main pyramid of this complex. Only the easternmost pyramid was a real pyramid, the two others being small step pyramids.The substructure of the easternmost pyramid suggests that it was started as a satellite pyramid, and that it was later converted into a burial place for one of Mykerinos' queens.
All three pyramids had small mudbrick shrines, showing that there was at least the intention of a funerary cult. Only the middle pyramid contained the body of a young woman, but whether she was the original owner of the tomb, or the result of an intrusive burial, is not known.

The three Queens' Pyramids in front of the pyramid of Mykerinos at Giza.

Mykerinos' Mortuary and Valley Temple

Mykerinos' Mortuary and Valley Temple

Mortuary Temple
The unfinished state of Mykerinos' funerary complex is very obvious in its mortuary temple. The core blocks were laid, but rather than being encased in granite, they were lined with mudbrick which shows some traces of being plastered and painted.
A series of granite blocks was being prepared for the north corridor, when instructions came that haste was needed to complete the temple. It is generally accepted that this haste was caused by the death of the king and although his successor Shepseskaf wanted to complete this monument, he also wanted to focus on his own funerary complex at Saqqara.

View on Mykerinos’ pyramid from the east, showing the ruins of the mortuary temple.

Despite its unfinished state, the structure of Mykerinos' mortuary temple is fairly clear. As was already traditional, the entrance is located in the east. It is followed by a large open court, with pillars lining the walls.
The sanctuary was located to the west of the open court, built against the wall that encloses the pyramid.
Fragments of several royal statues were found in the temple, among them several pieces of a larger-than-life alabaster statue representing the king seated on his throne. Although its pieces were found scathered around in the temple, it may originally have stood in the long and narrow hall that was built along the temple's east-west axis. There it would be the object of the king's funerary cult, providing the link between the world of the living, and the world of the dead.
Like the mortuary temple, the 608 meter long causeway connecting it to the Valley Temple down east, was never finished. Unlike the mortuary temple, however, Shepseskaf only completed the westernmost part of the causeway with mudbricks, leaving the rest uncompleted.

Valley Temple
Of all the monuments that are part of Mykerinos' funerary complex, the Valley Temple is the one that was least completed. During the reign of Mykerinos himself, only the foundations were laid, in huge limestone blocks that were quarried locally. The rest of the temple was completed by Shepseskaf hastily and cheaply, in mudbrick.
The temple was completely rebuilt during the 6th Dynasty, after it had been almost destroyed by flooding.

Interactive map of the Valley Temple of Mykerinos’ pyramid complex at Giza, showing the find places of some rather unique group statues showing the king along with his wife or the goddess Hathor. The insets to the left show the original excavation photos when these status were found.
Click or tap on the little circles to learn more about this monument.
Source: Lehner, Complete Pyramids, p. 137; 

Despite its unfinished state, the structure of temple is quite clear. The main entrance was located in the eastern was and opened up unto a hall that was flanked by several rooms to the North and the South.
Beyond the entrance hall, there was a wide rectangular open court and at the opposite end, several rooms, of which the sanctuary was the most important.
Several magnificent statues were found during the excavation of this temple. Among them were a larger-than-life statue of the king with his queen, Khamernebti II as well as several triads showing the king together with the goddess Hathor and a provincial deity.