Sobekneferu

Sobekneferu, also spelled Sobekneferet, was an ancient Egyptian queen who became the first historically attested female ruler of Egypt. She governed during the late Middle Kingdom, around 1800 BCE, and is associated with the end of the 12th Dynasty.

Her accession is generally understood to have followed Amenemhat IV, though her exact relationship to the preceding royal family is not well established. Some sources suggest she was a daughter or sister of Amenemhat III. Estimates of the length of her reign range from about four to seven years, with relatively few dated records surviving from this period.

Evidence for Sobekneferu’s reign includes royal inscriptions and seals that bear her name and include the royal titulary. In the available artifacts she is shown using the traditional titles associated with kingship, including masculine pharaonic epithets, which demonstrates that she exercised the prerogatives of a king, not merely the role of queen consort.

Monumental remains associated with her include a pyramid complex at Mazghuna, near Dahshur, along with related tombs and inscriptions bearing her name. The archaeological record from her reign is limited, and the chronology and full extent of her monuments remain a matter of scholarly debate.

Sobekneferu’s reign is historically significant as the first clearly documented example of a woman ruling as pharaoh in Egypt. Her existence shows that the royal institution could be governed by a woman and provides important insight into gender and succession in the Middle Kingdom.