Ankhaf (Ankhhaf) was most likely the son of Sneferu by an unknown wife. Although he was given the title the “eldest king’s son of his body” it was his half-brother Khufu who succeeded their father as pharaoh. However, it is possible he was the son of Huni, making him the half-brother of Sneferu.
Ankhaf held a number of important official roles including Vizier and “overseer of all the King’s works” for his brother Khafre, and “great one of Five of the house of Thoth“. He married his half-sister Hetepheres A, daughter of Sneferu and Queen Hetepheres I but we do not know if they had any children.
Ankhaf was buried in the largest mastaba in the eastern cemetery of Giza, which was mastaba G7510. A beautifully painted limestone bust of Ankhaf was found in this tomb. Unlike most Egyptian art (but in common with a statue of his relative Prince Hemiunu) the statue clearly depicts his individual features rather than a stylised portrait of a middle aged man. It is generally agreed to be the work of a master craftsman and is one of the finest pieces from the period.
Bibliography
- The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt (2004) Aidan Dodson and Dyan Hilton
- An Introduction to the Archeology of Ancient Egypt (2008) Kathryn A. Bard
- “The Old Kingdom”, J Malek in The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (2000) Ed I. Shaw
- Who’s Who in Ancient Egypt (1999) Michael Rice
Copyright J Hill 2015