Shepseskaf: the mystery king

Shepeskaf was the 6th and last pharaoh of 4th dynasty in Egypt during old kingdom period. But that's all we know. We do not know much about his lineage. Some Archaeologists believe that he was the son of Menkaure because he completed his complex after his death. Other Archaeologists argue that he was not the son of Menkaure because completion of monuments was an Egyptian tradition not necessarily practised by sons.

 Starting from the meaning of his name

Shepses in hieroglyphics means "noble"  while Ka mean "soul" and the f is a suffix pronoun.

His name literally means: "his soul is noble"

 Shepseskaf was indeed mysterious 

He built his tomb named Mastabat Faraoun (very unique in its shape), it was neither a pyramid nor mastaba, it was a very huge rectangular coffin. Some archaeologists suggested that he wanted to get rid of sun cult alluding to the fact that he did not build a pyramid and carried a name without word re (sun god) unlike his predecessors. A revolt king, perhaps?

Impressive location of Mastabat Faraoun!  

It was built midway between the step pyramid in Saqqara and the pyramids of Senefru in Dahshour, overlooking the fields that surrounded the capital. Archaeologist Jequier, proved that Mastabat Faraoun was built by Shepseskaf because he discovered a stela with the last part of Shepseskaf's name.

Mastabat Al Fir'aun
Mastabat Al Fir'oun shrouded in mystery in plain daylight
Photo attribution: Jon Bodsworth - www.egyptarchive.co.uk, Copyrighted free use, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2316988

Sources: 
Gustav Jequier, Le Mastabat Faraoun 
Ahmed Fakhry, The Egyptian Pyramids

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