OC 002 · Relief · Africa

Cattle carved for King Khufu

A long limestone block carved with long-horned cattle walking in a line, with hieroglyphs above them — Photo: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0, via The Met Open Access.

Number on this site: OC 002
What it is: Relief
Made: About 2551 to 2528 BC, in the reign of Khufu
Period: Old Kingdom, Dynasty 4
Material: Limestone
Size: 46 cm high, 137.5 cm wide
Found: Reused in the foundations of a pyramid at Lisht, built more than 500 years later. Lisht
Now held by: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Museum number: 22.1.3a, b
Era: First cities and the Bronze Age

Carved in Khufu’s reign, the time of the Great Pyramid, then taken and built into a later king’s pyramid at Lisht more than five centuries afterwards.¹

Where it sits in human time

Made about 4,570 years ago. On this strip, each step to the right is ten times closer to today.

Seen in

The town that built the pyramids · Ancient Egypt

Filed under

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Last reviewed 12 November 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Relief fragment with king Khufu’s cattle. Dynasty 4, reign of Khufu, ca. 2551–2528 BC. Collection record 543890, Open Access (CC0). www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/543890Used for: The dates of Khufu’s reign, and a block from his time reused at Lisht. Checked 12 November 2026.