Ranefer

Not to be confused with Ranefer (High Priest of Ptah), Neferirkare Kakai, or Neferefre.

Ranefer (or Ranofer) was a prince of ancient Egypt during the 4th Dynasty (Old Kingdom of Egypt).^[1]

Ranefer in hieroglyphs
Rˀ-nfr Ra-nefer Ra is beautiful

Ranefer in a family tree

His name, Ranefer, comes from the Egyptian god Ra and the Ancient Egyptian word nefer (nfr), meaning "beauty."

Ranefer, who had the title King’s Son,^[2] was a son of Pharaoh Sneferu, who was the first ruler of the Fourth Dynasty.^[3] Ranefer’s mother was Sneferu’s wife or concubine; her name is unknown. Ranefer’s elder brothers were Nefermaat I and Rahotep.^[4][5][6]

Ranefer worked as an overseer for his father^[7] (title: “Overseer of Djed-Sneferu”) and was buried inside a mastaba tomb at Meidum.^[8] In the tomb were found remains of viscera wrapped in linen.^[9] Ranefer’s body is the best representation of what mummification techniques entailed during the Old Kingdom.^[10] His body was facing east, was molded as well as painted. The mummy’s hair was painted black, the eyebrows and eyes were painted green^[11] whilst the mouth was painted red. The genitals were also carefully molded, the brain remained in the skull and its innards were found in a canopic chest in the tomb.^[12]