Shoshenq IV: Encyclopedia II - Shoshenq IV - Burial

Shoshenq IV - Burial

Like Shoshenq III, Shoshenq IV was not a son of his predecessor and the exact grounds for his claim to the throne are unknown. He ruled Egypt between Shoshenq III and Pami for either 12 or 13 Years based on different Egyptologists view of his reign. According to Dodson, excavation work in the looted NRT V Tanite tomb of Shoshenq III revealed the presence of 2 sarcophagi: one inscribed for Usermaatre Setepenre Shoshenq III and the other being an anonymous sarcophagus. The unmarked sarcophagus, however, "was clearly a secondary introduction" according to its position in the tomb.(Dodson, GM, p.54) In the tomb's debris, several fragments were found from one or two canopic jars bearing the name "Hedjkheperre-Setpenre-meryamun-sibast-Netjerheqaon."(Dodson, GM, p.54) Since the epithet Netjerheqaon was never employed by the 22nd Dynasty kings until the reign of Shoshenq III, this constitutes clear evidence that Shoshenq IV was buried in Shoshenq III's Tanite tomb and succeeded this king. It also demonstrates that the king buried here was certainly not Shoshenq I.

(NOTE: The original king Shoshenq IV in pre-1993 books and journal articles has been renamed Shoshenq VI by Egyptologists because he was a Theban king who is only attested by Upper Egyptian documents. He was never a king of the 22nd Dynasty of Egypt.)

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Burial", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki