Ramesses IV: The Pharaoh Who Tried to Restore Egypt’s Power
Usermaatre Heqamaatre Setepenamun Ramesses IV (also written Ramses or Rameses) was the third pharaoh of the Twentieth Dynasty of the New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt. He was the second son of Ramesses III and became crown prince when his elder brother Amenherkhepshef died aged 15 in 1164 BC, when Ramesses was only 12 years old. His promotion to crown prince is suggested by his appearance in a scene of the festival of Min at the Ramesses III temple at Karnak, which may have been completed by Year 22 [of his father’s reign].
Statue of Ramesses IV
As his father’s chosen successor, the prince employed three distinctive titles: “Hereditary Prince”, “Royal scribe” and “Generalissimo.” The latter two titles are mentioned in a text at the temple of Amenhotep III at Soleb and all three titles appear on a lintel now in Florence, Italy. As heir-apparent he took on increasing responsibilities; for instance, in Year 27 of his father’s reign, he is depicted appointing a certain Amenemope to the important position of Third Prophet of Amun in the latter’s TT 148 tomb.
Amenemope’s Theban tomb also accords Prince Ramesses all three of his aforementioned sets of royal titles. Despite the 31-year reign of his father Ramesses III, Ramesses IV was only 21 when he became pharaoh, and he only reigned for six and a half years. His rule has been dated to 1155 to 1149 BC.
Ramesses IV Family
- Recently, it is thought that the mother of Ramesses IV was probably Queen Tyti according to recently uncovered notes that were released in the 2010 issue of the Journal of Egyptian Archaeology.
- Ramesses IV was succeeded after his death by Ramesses V who was 13 years old.
He was an important administrative title as a prince and this readied him for leadership. The heirs to the throne in the New Kingdom were educated in religious responsibilities, military policy and government.
His background in the royal court made him vulnerable to the intricacies of the environment of ruling a huge empire. He already had experience in the affairs of the state by the time he was named king.
Accession to the Throne
Ramesses IV became pharaoh after the death of Ramesses III around 1155 BCE. The transition occurred during a tense period in Egyptian history. These were the last years of Ramesses III, when he was involved in the so-called Harem Conspiracy, a life threat to the king by the court officials.
Despite the fact that Ramesses IV was not participating in the conspiracy directly, he made some measures to punish those who did it and bring order to the palace. The fact that he joined represented continuity and the continuation of royal power.
Ramses IV
Ramesses IV assumed power under adverse influences. His father, Ramesses III, was killed by conspirators headed by Tiye, one of his secondary wives in order to put Pentawer, who was her son and the half brother to Ramesses IV in power. Ramesses IV, however, managed to take his seat upon the throne and had the conspirators apprehended, tried and condemned. It was even believed that Ramesses IV had survived the first attack only to succumb later to the death of his father Ramesses III.
His mummy did not seem to have any external marks of the injuries and his death was considered to be a natural one. Recent CT scanning has found however, that his throat was severed to the bone, cutting the trachea, oesophagus and blood vessels, which would be quickly fatal. This observation supports the hypothesis that Ramesses IV conducted the trial and execution of the conspirators on behalf of his murdered father, and not on his own behalf.
Royal Titles and Ideology of Ramesses IV
Similar to every Egyptian pharaoh, Ramesses IV employed the row of royal titles, which were statements of divine legitimacy. His throne name, Heqamaatre Setepenamun, meant “Ruler of Maat like Ra, Chosen of Amun.”
These titles emphasized the king’s connection to the gods and his role in maintaining cosmic balance. Royal ideology of this time period intertwined the pharaoh with the divine powers solidifying his control over the religious and political life.
Ra and Amon – Ramses IV tomb
Major Building Projects
Ramesses IV tried to revive huge construction projects across Egypt. Building temples of Amun and other gods was one of his significant programs. He also stayed in high religious places like Karnak and Medinet Habu.
Though most of his works were not as grand as those of the previous pharaohs, they show a lot of interest in religious buildings. Such construction projects also used huge masses of labor and strengthened royal status.
The pharaoh launched a massive construction program at the beginning of his reign on the scale of Ramesses II, which doubled the size of the work gangs in Deir el-Medina to 120 men and sent numerous expeditions to the stone quarries of Wadi Hammamat and to the turquoise mines of the Sinai. According to the Great Rock stela of Ramesses IV at Wadi Hammamat, the largest expedition, during his Year 3, third month of Shemu day 27, was 8,368 men alone, including 5,000 soldiers, 2,000 of the personnel of the Amun temples, 800 Apiru and 130 stonemasons and quarrymen, under the personal command of the High Priest of Amun, Ramessesnakht.
One of the items on the program of the king was the massive expansion of the Temple of Khonsu of his father at Karnak and building a large mortuary temple at the proximity of the Temple of Hatshepsut. Ramesses IV dispatched some of these expeditions also to the turquoise mines on the Sinai; four of them are known before his fourth year.
Ramesses IV’s final venture to the turquoise mines of the Sinai is documented by the stela of a senior army scribe named Panufer.
Year 5, second month of Shomu [ summer]. The sending by His Majesty to build the Mansion of Millions of Years of Ramesses IV in the temple of Hathor, Lady of Turquoise, by Panefer, the Scribe of the Commands of the Army, son of Pairy, is justified.
The Wadi Hammamat Expedition
Wadi Hammamat
One of the most remarkable events of Ramesses IV’s reign was a massive quarry expedition to Wadi Hammamat. Historical records describe an expedition involving more than 8,000 workers, soldiers, and officials.
The goal was to obtain stone for statues and monuments. Inscriptions carved in the desert cliffs record the names of participants and the achievements of the mission.
This expedition illustrates the organizational capacity of the Egyptian state and Ramesses IV’s ambition to continue monumental building.
Administrative Reforms
Ramesses IV sought to strengthen Egypt’s bureaucracy. He expanded the workforce at Deir el-Medina, the village where artisans responsible for royal tomb construction lived.
Increasing the number of workers allowed faster progress on royal tomb projects. Administrative texts also show careful record-keeping of supplies and labor, reflecting efficient government oversight.
Religious Policy
In Egypt, religion was still important in society. Ramesses IV upheld the cult of Amun who was the supreme god of Thebes. He also had the traditional forms of worshipping other gods.
In the relationship between the king and the priesthood, temple donations and religious festivals strengthened it. Ramesses IV wanted to ensure social stability by promoting religious stability.
The Tomb of Ramesses IV
Tomb of Ramesses IV Burial chamber J with the Sarcophagus
KV2 is the burial place of Ramesses IV. Located in the Valley of the Kings, the tomb features wide corridors and richly painted walls.
It has religious text in its decorations and the Book of Gates and the Book of Caverns. These writings led the king to the afterlife. The straight-axis structure of the tomb indicates architectural tendencies of the Ramesside.
Economic Conditions
The economic pressures were increasing in Egypt even though Ramesses IV had ambitious plans to pursue. The networks of trade were becoming smaller and the resources were scarce as compared to the previous centuries. However, the attempts of the king to create the great expeditions and construction works show the strength.
Death and Burial
Ramesses IV served approximately six years before he died. He was interred in KV2 at the Valley of the Kings. His body was eventually transferred to a hidden cache like many royal mummies to ensure it was not robbed by tomb robbers.
KV2 Tomb of Rameses IV
At Deir el-Bahari his mummy was later found. It can now be found in the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization.
After a short reign of about six and a half years, Ramesses IV died and was buried in tomb KV2 in the Valley of the Kings. His mummy was found in the royal cache of Amenhotep II’s tomb KV35 in 1898. Queen Duatantopet or Tentopet or burial in QV74 is the wife of the chief. He would be succeeded to the throne by his son, Ramesses V.
Originally, Ramesses IV had a tomb built for him in the Valley of the Queens, QV53. In April 2021 his mummy was moved from the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization along with those of 17 other kings and 4 queens in an event termed the Pharaohs’ Golden Parade.
Ramesses IV’s Legacy
Ramesses IV was an impressionist even though his reign was short. He tried to retain the conventional systems of power in Egypt at a time of transition.
His quarry expeditions, building projects, and tomb decorations illustrate the persistence of royal ambition even during challenging times.
