MOGA 2015
Unearth The Pharaoh's Treasure
MOGA 2015 was the 12th annual Midwest Open Geocaching Adventure Event. Each year Geocachers come from around the country and even around the world to compete in this premier geocaching competition event. Each year MOGA puts out permanent tribute caches to represent the punches in the competition course.
The theme of MOGA 2015 is treasure hunting and adventuring in Ancient Egypt, reflecting the adventurous spirit of geocachers. MOAG 2015 has 60 permanent tribute caches, each named for an Egyptian Pharaoh.
In addition to these 60 caches, there are 16 Caches of the Gods containing clues to the location of the The Pharaoh's Treasure, the main event cache for MOGA 2015.
Pepi II Neferkare
Pepi II was a pharaoh of the Sixth Dynasty in Egypt's Old Kingdom who reigned from c. 2278 BC. His throne name, Neferkare (Nefer-ka-Re), means "Beautiful is the Ka of Re". He succeeded to the throne at age six, after the death of Merenre I.
Pepi II's reign marked a sharp decline of the Old Kingdom. As the power of the nomarchs grew, the power of the pharaoh declined. With no dominant central power, local nobles began raiding each other's territories and the Old Kingdom came to an end within mere decades after the close of Pepi II's reign.
The decline of the Old Kingdom arguably began before the time of Pepi II, with nomarchs (regional representatives of the king) becoming more and more powerful and exerting greater influence. Pepi I, for example, married two sisters who were the daughters of a nomarch and later made their brother a vizier. Their influence was extensive, both sisters bearing sons who were chosen as part of the royal succession: Merenre Nemtyemsaf I and Pepi II.
Increasing wealth and power appears to have been handed over to high officials during Pepi II's reign. Large and expensive tombs appear at many of the major nomes of Egypt, built for the reigning nomarchs, the priestly class and other administrators. Nomarchs were traditionally free from taxation and their positions became hereditary. Their increasing wealth and independence led to a corresponding shift in power away from the central royal court to the regional nomarchs.
Later in his reign it is known that Pepi divided the role of vizier so that there were two viziers: one for Upper Egypt and one for Lower, a further decentralization of power away from the royal capital of Memphis. Further, the seat of vizier of Upper Egypt was moved several times. The southern vizier was based at Thebes.
It has been suggested that Pepi II's long reign was a contributing factor to the general breakdown of centralized royal rule that brought the Old Kingdom to its end.
This Geocache was placed with the permission of the property owner/manager