Shepseskaf is usually considered to be the last pharaoh of the fourth dynasty.
Egyptian pharaohs had decreed that objects in paintings and the like should be instantly recognizable to the viewer.
Great care was taken to provide a beautiful barque to the pharaoh for this journey, and models of the boats were placed in their tombs.
It was controlled by the king (i.e. the pharaoh) and his officials and was connected to several cultic feasts.
Yet despite difficult problems, local leaders, owing no tribute to the pharaoh, used their new-found independence to establish a thriving culture in the provinces.
The pharaoh's mummy reveals an aquiline nose and strong jaw, and stands at about 1.7 m.
Among the latter were coronation ceremonies and the sed festival, a ritual renewal of the pharaoh's strength that took place periodically during his reign.
Pharaohs were often depicted as part human and part lion wearing the false beard saturated with labdanum.
