Egypt: Rulers, Kings and Pharaohs of Ancient

1st Dynasty (3050 - 2890) Little actual history is known of the pharaohs of the early dynasties. Their howe"er! are so e of the ost studied artifacts in the world. #orus $ha %&er ('tit) %&et ((ad&) %en ()di u) $nend&i* +e erkhet ,a-a onu ents!

Egypt: Qa'a, The Last King of the irst Dynasty, or !as "e#
Qa'a, The Last King of the irst Dynasty, or !as "e# $y %i&&y Dunn

.ost scholars *elie"e that ,a-a was the last kin/ of the 0st dynasty. (e ay also see his na e as 1aa! or se"eral other "ariations. Thou/h 2/yptolo/ists often disa/ree on datin/! our current *est /uess is that he li"ed fro a*out 3000 to 2890 34.

(hile this infor ation on ,a-a is hi/hly li ited! until %reyer and 1aiser analysis their data and pro"ide us with ore infor ation! little else is known of this early 2/yptian 5haraoh.. #e was pro*a*ly *uried in To * , at $*ydos! where two typical royal funerary stelae *earin/ his na e were found on the east side of the to *. This to * has *een e6ca"ated on a nu *er of different occations! first *y 2 ile $ elineau in the 0890s! then 7linders 5etrie and in 0990! *y 8unther %reyer and (erner 1aiser. The work done *y this later 8er an tea re"ealed any s all artifacts and architectural details that had *een o"erlooked *y earlier e6ca"ations. These include thirty inscri*ed la*els that descri*e the deli"ery of oil! pro*a*ly ade fro *erries or tree resins! and pro*a*ly fro the +yria-5alestine area.

+eal i pressions and artifacts ha"e also *een disco"ered in To * , with the na e of #etepsekhe wy! the first pharaoh of the second dynasty. This su//ests that #etepsekhe wy co pleted To * ,! and that there was no real *reak *etween the first and second dynasties of 2/ypt. The chan/e in dynasties fro the first to the second was ori/inally reported *y .anetho without e6planation. (e also know of four to *s in +a99ara that date to this kin/s rei/n. The lower part of two wooden statues were found in one of these to *s in a set of roo s on the north side. +o e scholars *elie"e this ay ha"e *een an offerin/ chapel! and that the ortuary te ple in pyra id co ple6es ay ha"e e"ol"ed fro this structure. 2/yptolo/ists ha"e also disco"ered the stelae of two of ,a-a-s officials! .erka and +a*ef. These stelae ha"e ore co ple6 inscriptions then earlier hiero/lyphics! and ay ha"e si/naled in increasin/ sophistication in the use of this writin/. References:
Title Author Date Publisher Thames and &udson 'td Reference Number ()BN *-+***+*,%-* None )tated ()BN *$%.2$+-3*-4

Chronicle of the Pharaohs (The Reign-By-Reign Clayton! Record of the Rulers and Dynasties of Ancient Peter A" Egypt &istory of Ancient Egypt! A 1onarchs of the Nile 54ford &istory of Ancient Egypt! The -rimal! Nicolas Dodson! Aidan )ha0! (an

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54ford ()BN *-#$6ni7ersity Press .#+*8%-3