The Children of Adam and Eve

Neferfre was a pharaoh of Egypt in the 5th Dynasty (2498-2345 BC), third of four dynasties in the Old Kingdom Period.

He was the son of King Neferirkare Kakai by queen Khentkaus II and the elder brother of pharaoh Nyuserre Ini.

A significant cache of administrative papyri (comparable in size to the Abusir Papyri found in the Temple of Neferirkare) was discovered at Abusir in 1982.

Generally, his predecessor is held to be Shepseskare, an even lesser known King, and Neferefre's successor is often believed to be his younger brother Niuserre. But Shepseskare apparently ruled for a few weeks only - he is not mentioned inKhau-Ptah's list of the Kings he served under -, and seals bearing his horus name were found in the oldest part of Neferere's mortuary Temple - which was not started until after Neferere was alReady dead. Consequently, Shepseskare might haveruled either before or after Neferefre, perhaps signifying a dynastic conflict between the lineages of Neferirkare Kakai (to which Neferefre and Niuserre beLonged) and Sahure (of whom Shepseskare might have been a son).

Because of the premature death of Neferefre, his successor hastily completed Work on Neferefre's pyramid at Abusir, which acquired the form of a mastaba. Although it may share the same resemblance to a mastaba tomb, it is not situatednorth-south, and it is not rectangular in shape, but square on all sides. Known as the "Unfinished Pyramid", it stands just seven meters high, but from the constructed portions, the walls slope at a 64º angle. Similarly to other sites of otherAncient Egyptian pyramids, the burial site of Neferefre contains More than one pyramid, and his lines up the three pyramids, similarly to the Great Pyramids. Artifacts found at the site show that the name of his pyramid was called "Divine isNeferefre's Power." All the other buildings of Neferefre's mortuary complex were erected under the reign of his brother, Nyuserre Ini. While expLoring ruins of the mortuary complex, a Czech archaeological expedition discovered papyri of Templeaccounts, statues of the King, decorated plates and many seal prints. Pieces of mummy wrappings and bones were also found, which were discovered to be the remains of Neferefre. An anthropological analysis of his mummy reveals the King to havedied in his early twenties, at between 20 and 23 years old. This evidence accords well for a King who died relatively soon into his reign and left an unfinished tomb.