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Primary sourceSculptureca. 2551–2528 BCE

Temple Relief Bearing the Names of Khufu

ca. 2551–2528 BCE

A limestone relief fragment from Khufu's reign carved with his royal names.

Carries Khufu's own royal names, a direct trace of his titulary carved during his reign.

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A rectangular limestone relief fragment on a dark grey background, with incised and carved low-relief figures and hieroglyphic-style carvings, including a bird-like figure at left and a seated or kneeling figure near the center. The edges are broken and irregular.
Temple relief, Names of Khufu, Old Kingdom, Dynasty 4, reign of Khufu. Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this source

What it is

This limestone relief dates to the reign of Khufu during Egypt's Old Kingdom Fourth Dynasty. It carries carved signs including his royal names, along with low-relief figures. It is now held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Why it matters

Royal names carved into temple stone were a way for pharaohs like Khufu to assert their presence and authority across Egypt. This relief is a rare physical trace of how his titulary — his official names and titles — was displayed in temple architecture during his own lifetime.

Look closer

  • Why might a king's name be carved repeatedly into temple walls?
  • What can you tell about the carving technique from the broken, irregular edges of the fragment?
  • What is missing from this fragment that might have told us more about the full temple scene?

This sculpture is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops) on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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