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A New Seal-impression of King Shepseskara and the Fifth Dynasty Chronology

    Massimiliano Nuzzolo

Ägypten und Levante 34, pp. 393-418, 2025/02/05

Internationale Zeitschrift für ägyptische Archäologie und deren Nachbargebiete
International Journal for Egyptian Archaeology and Related Disciplines

doi: 10.1553/AEundL34s393

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doi:10.1553/AEundL34



doi:10.1553/AEundL34s393


Abstract

Since 2010 an Italian (currently Italian–Polish) archaeological expedition has been re-investigating the Fifth Dynasty sun temple of Nyuserra at Abu Ghurab, first discovered and excavated by Ludwig Borchardt in the years 1898–1901 During season 2021, in the north-eastern area of the complex, the mission uncovered a considerable accumulation of seal-impressions in a previously untouched and undisturbed archaeological context. These seal-impressions are inscribed with several administrative titles and bear evidence of many royal names of the late Fifth and early Sixth Dynasty. Among them, the most important in terms of historical information is certainly that of king Shepseskara. His position in the Fifth Dynasty chronology and his connection with the other Fifth Dynasty rulers are in fact still far from clearThis paper intends to present the main information pertaining to this new archaeological discovery and compare it with all available data about this king. Eventually, the paper wishes to reassess the chronology of the mid-Fifth Dynasty, by challenging the commonly accepted sequence Raneferef – Shepseskara – Nyuserra.

Keywords: Fifth Dynasty, Sun Temples, Abu Ghurab, Nyuserra, Shepseskara, Raneferef, Sealimpressions, Ptahshepses