Amenemhat IV

Amenemhat IV ruled for approximately 10 years, succeeding his father Amenemhat III. His reign was relatively brief and marked by a continuation of existing policies, but it saw the beginning of economic decline. He was the last male ruler of the 12th Dynasty, after which the throne passed to his sister Sobekneferu.

Amenemhat IV dispatched a mining expedition to Serabit el-Khadim in Sinai to extract turquoise. Inscriptions at the site record his name and the expedition's success, indicating that mining operations continued under his rule, though perhaps at a reduced scale compared to his father's reign.

The reign of Amenemhat IV witnessed a gradual economic downturn, evidenced by fewer monumental building projects and reduced administrative records. This decline may have been due to lower Nile floods, reduced trade, or internal administrative issues, setting the stage for the instability that followed the 12th Dynasty.