Third Dynasty · c. 2637–2613 BCE

Huni, the Last Pharaoh of the Third Dynasty

Huni closed out Egypt's 3rd Dynasty after a reign the Turin King List credits at roughly twenty-four years, handing the throne to Sneferu and the dawn of the Old Kingdom's pyramid age. What's carved in stone is certain; what's reconstructed by scholars is marked as such throughout this archive.

The Meidum Pyramid, Egypt
Meidum Pyramid Attribution Rejected

What the Record Shows

Established

Huni was the last pharaoh of the 3rd Dynasty, Old Kingdom, reigning to roughly 2613 BCE.

Disputed

The claim that Huni built a fortress on Elephantine Island to defend Egypt's southern border at the First Cataract circulates on a number of general-history and tourism sites, but we could not locate it in Wikipedia, in the academic literature on Elephantine, or in any primary source. The only securely attested Huni object from Elephantine is a red granite cone referencing a royal building there (see Artifacts) — which is not evidence of a fortress.

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The Turin King List papyrus, Museo Egizio, Turin
Museo Egizio, Turin The Turin King List

The Line of Succession

Predecessor Khaba Disputed
Reigning King Huni
Successor Sneferu

See the full bloodline tree →