First Dynasty of Egypt: Difference between revisions

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| flag_type              =  
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| year_start            = c. 3100 BC
| year_start            = {{c.|3100 BC}}
| year_end              = c. 2900 BC
| year_end              = c. 2900 BC
| p1                    = Protodynastic Egypt
| p1                    = Protodynastic Egypt
| p2                    = Dynasty 0
| flag_p1                =  
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| s1                    = Second Dynasty of Egypt
| s1                    = Second Dynasty of Egypt
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{{Egyptian Dynasty list}}
{{Egyptian Dynasty list}}
The '''First Dynasty''' of [[ancient Egypt]] ('''Dynasty I'''){{Sfnp|Kuhrt|1995|p=118}} covers the first series of Egyptian kings to rule over a unified Egypt. It immediately follows the unification of [[Upper and Lower Egypt]], by [[Menes]], or [[Narmer]],<ref>{{cite journal |last=Heagy |first=Thomas C. |year=2014 |title=Who was Menes? |journal=Archeo-Nil |volume=24 |pages=59–92}} Available online {{cite web |title=[1] |url=http://www.narmer.org/menes}}</ref> and marks the beginning of the [[Early Dynastic Period (Egypt)|Early Dynastic Period]], when power was centered at [[Thinis]].
The '''First Dynasty''' of [[ancient Egypt]] ('''Dynasty I'''){{Sfnp|Kuhrt|1995|p=118}} covers the first series of Egyptian kings to rule over a unified Egypt. It immediately follows the unification of [[Upper and Lower Egypt]], by [[Menes]], or [[Narmer]],<ref>{{cite journal |last=Heagy |first=Thomas C. |year=2014 |title=Who was Menes? |journal=Archeo-Nil |volume=24 |pages=59–92}} Available online {{cite web |title=[1] |url=http://www.narmer.org/menes |access-date=2020-05-03 |archive-date=2017-09-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901204749/http://www.narmer.org/menes }}</ref> and marks the beginning of the [[Early Dynastic Period (Egypt)|Early Dynastic Period]], when power was centered at [[Thinis]].


The date of this period is subject to scholarly debate about the [[Egyptian chronology]]. It falls within the early [[Bronze Age]] and is variously estimated to have begun anywhere between the 34th and the 30th centuries{{nbsp}}BC. In a 2013 study based on [[radiocarbon dating|radiocarbon dates]], the accession of [[Hor-Aha]], the second king of the First Dynasty, was placed between 3111 and 3045 BC with 68% confidence, and between 3218 and 3035 with 95% confidence.<ref name="Dee Wengrow">{{cite journal|last1=Dee|first1=M.|author-link2=David Wengrow|last2=Wengrow|first2=D.|last3=Shortland|first3=A.|last4=Stevenson|first4=A.|last5=Brock|first5=F.|last6=Girdland Flink|first6=L.|last7=Bronk Ramsey|first7=C.|title=An absolute chronology for early Egypt using radiocarbon dating and Bayesian statistical modelling|journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences|date=4 September 2013|volume=469|issue=2159|pages=20130395|doi=10.1098/rspa.2013.0395|pmc=3780825|pmid=24204188|bibcode=2013RSPSA.46930395D}}</ref> The same study placed the accession of [[Den (pharaoh)|Den]], the sixth king of the dynasty, between 2928 and 2911 BC with 68% confidence,<ref name="Dee Wengrow"/> although a 2023 radiocarbon analysis placed Den's accession potentially earlier, between 3011 and 2921, within a broader window of 3104 to 2913.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Quiles |first1=Anita |last2=Tristant |first2=Yann |title=Radiocarbon-Based Modeling of the Reign of King den (1St Dynasty, Egypt) and the Start of the Old Kingdom |date=2023 |journal=Radiocarbon |language=en |volume=65 |issue=2 |pages=485–504 |doi=10.1017/RDC.2023.15 |issn=0033-8222 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2023Radcb..65..485Q }}</ref>
The date of this period is subject to scholarly debate about the [[Egyptian chronology]]. It falls within the early [[Bronze Age]] and is variously estimated to have begun anywhere between the 34th and the 30th centuries{{nbsp}}BC. In a 2013 study based on [[radiocarbon dating|radiocarbon dates]], the accession of [[Hor-Aha]], the second king of the First Dynasty, was placed between 3111 and 3045 BC with 68% confidence, and between 3218 and 3035 with 95% confidence.<ref name="Dee Wengrow">{{cite journal|last1=Dee|first1=M.|author-link2=David Wengrow|last2=Wengrow|first2=D.|last3=Shortland|first3=A.|last4=Stevenson|first4=A.|last5=Brock|first5=F.|last6=Girdland Flink|first6=L.|last7=Bronk Ramsey|first7=C.|title=An absolute chronology for early Egypt using radiocarbon dating and Bayesian statistical modelling|journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences|date=4 September 2013|volume=469|issue=2159|article-number=20130395|doi=10.1098/rspa.2013.0395|pmc=3780825|pmid=24204188|bibcode=2013RSPSA.46930395D}}</ref> The same study placed the accession of [[Den (pharaoh)|Den]], the sixth king of the dynasty, between 2928 and 2911 BC with 68% confidence,<ref name="Dee Wengrow"/> although a 2023 radiocarbon analysis placed Den's accession potentially earlier, between 3011 and 2921, within a broader window of 3104 to 2913.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Quiles |first1=Anita |last2=Tristant |first2=Yann |title=Radiocarbon-Based Modeling of the Reign of King den (1St Dynasty, Egypt) and the Start of the Old Kingdom |date=2023 |journal=Radiocarbon |language=en |volume=65 |issue=2 |pages=485–504 |doi=10.1017/RDC.2023.15 |issn=0033-8222 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2023Radcb..65..485Q }}</ref>


==The dynasty==
==The dynasty==
{{See also|First Dynasty of Egypt family tree}}
{{See also|First Dynasty of Egypt family tree}}
Information about this dynasty is derived from a few monuments and other objects bearing royal names, the most important being the [[Narmer Palette]] and [[Narmer Macehead]], as well as Den and Qa'a king lists.<ref>{{Citation |contribution=Qa'a and Merneith lists |title=Xoomer |publisher=Virgilio |place=[[Italy|IT]] |url=http://xoomer.virgilio.it/francescoraf/hesyra/Egyptgallery03.html}}.</ref><ref>The Narmer Catalog http://narmer.org/inscription/1553 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200208115735/https://www.narmer.org/inscription/1553 |date=2020-02-08 }}</ref><ref>The Narmer Catalog http://narmer.org/inscription/4048 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200219162600/http://www.narmer.org/inscription/4048 |date=2020-02-19 }}</ref> No detailed records of the first two dynasties have survived, except for the terse lists on the [[Palermo Stone]]. The account in [[Manetho]]'s ''Aegyptiaca'' contradicts both the archeological evidence and the other historical records: Manetho names nine rulers of the First Dynasty, only one of whose names matches the other sources, and offers information for only four of them.<ref>Manetho, Fr. 6, 7a, 7b. Text and translation in ''Manetho'', translated by W.G. Waddell (Cambridge: Harvard University, 1940), pp.&nbsp;27–35</ref> [[Egyptian hieroglyphs]] were fully developed by then, and their shapes would be used with little change for more than three thousand years.{{fact|date=March 2023}}
Information about this dynasty is derived from a few monuments and other objects bearing royal names, the most important being the [[Narmer Palette]] and [[Narmer Macehead]], as well as Den and [[Qa'a]] king lists.<ref>{{Citation |contribution=Qa'a and Merneith lists |title=Xoomer |publisher=Virgilio |place=[[Italy|IT]] |url=http://xoomer.virgilio.it/francescoraf/hesyra/Egyptgallery03.html}}.</ref><ref>The Narmer Catalog http://narmer.org/inscription/1553 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200208115735/https://www.narmer.org/inscription/1553 |date=2020-02-08 }}</ref><ref>The Narmer Catalog http://narmer.org/inscription/4048 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200219162600/http://www.narmer.org/inscription/4048 |date=2020-02-19 }}</ref> No detailed records of the first two dynasties have survived, except for the terse lists on the [[Palermo Stone]]. The account in [[Manetho]]'s ''Aegyptiaca'' contradicts both the archeological evidence and the other historical records: Manetho names nine rulers of the First Dynasty, only one of whose names matches the other sources, and offers information for only four of them.<ref>Manetho, Fr. 6, 7a, 7b. Text and translation in ''Manetho'', translated by W.G. Waddell (Cambridge: Harvard University, 1940), pp.&nbsp;27–35</ref> [[Egyptian hieroglyphs]] were fully developed by then, and their shapes would be used with little change for more than three thousand years.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}


Alena Buis noted: {{quote|"Large tombs of [[pharaoh]]s at [[Abydos, Egypt|Abydos]] and [[Naqada]], in addition to cemeteries at [[Saqqara]] and [[Helwan]] near [[Memphis, Egypt|Memphis]], reveal structures built largely of wood and mud bricks, with some small use of stone for walls and floors. Stone was used in quantity for the manufacture of ornaments, vessels, and occasionally, for statues. ''[[Tamarix]]'' ("tamarisk" or "salt cedar") was used to build boats such as the [[Abydos boats]]. One of the most important indigenous woodworking techniques was the fixed [[mortise and tenon]] joint. A fixed tenon was made by shaping the end of one timber to fit into a mortise (hole) that is cut into a second timber. A variation of this joint using a free tenon eventually became one of the most important features in Mediterranean and Egyptian shipbuilding. It creates a union between two planks or other components by inserting a separate tenon into a cavity (mortise) of the corresponding size cut into each component."|Alena Buis, PhD<ref name="alenabuis">{{cite journal |first=Alena |last=Buis |date=2022 |journal=Art and Visual Culture: Prehistory to Renaissance |title=Predynastic and Early Dynastic Art |url=https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/cavestocathedrals/chapter/predynastic/ |quote=Large tombs of pharaohs at Abydos and Naqada, in addition to cemeteries at Saqqara and Helwan near Memphis, reveal structures built largely of wood and mud bricks, with some small use of stone for walls and floors. Stone was used in quantity for the manufacture of ornaments, vessels, and occasionally for statues. Tamarix was used to build boats such as the Abydos Boats. One of the most important indigenous woodworking techniques was the fixed mortise and tenon joint, where the fixed tenon was made by shaping the end of one timber to fit into a mortise (or hole) that is cut into a second timber. A variation of this joint using a free tenon eventually became one of the most important features in Mediterranean and Egyptian shipbuilding. It creates a union between two planks or other components by inserting a separate tenon into a cavity (mortise) of the corresponding size cut into each component. }}</ref> }}
Alena Buis noted: {{blockquote|"Large tombs of [[pharaoh]]s at [[Abydos, Egypt|Abydos]] and [[Naqada]], in addition to cemeteries at [[Saqqara]] and [[Helwan]] near [[Memphis, Egypt|Memphis]], reveal structures built largely of wood and mud bricks, with some small use of stone for walls and floors. Stone was used in quantity for the manufacture of ornaments, vessels, and occasionally, for statues. ''[[Tamarix]]'' ("tamarisk" or "salt cedar") was used to build boats such as the [[Abydos boats]]. One of the most important indigenous woodworking techniques was the fixed [[mortise and tenon]] joint. A fixed tenon was made by shaping the end of one timber to fit into a mortise (hole) that is cut into a second timber. A variation of this joint using a free tenon eventually became one of the most important features in Mediterranean and Egyptian shipbuilding. It creates a union between two planks or other components by inserting a separate tenon into a cavity (mortise) of the corresponding size cut into each component."|Alena Buis, PhD<ref name="alenabuis">{{cite journal |first=Alena |last=Buis |date=2022 |journal=Art and Visual Culture: Prehistory to Renaissance |title=Predynastic and Early Dynastic Art |url=https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/cavestocathedrals/chapter/predynastic/ |quote=Large tombs of pharaohs at Abydos and Naqada, in addition to cemeteries at Saqqara and Helwan near Memphis, reveal structures built largely of wood and mud bricks, with some small use of stone for walls and floors. Stone was used in quantity for the manufacture of ornaments, vessels, and occasionally for statues. Tamarix was used to build boats such as the Abydos Boats. One of the most important indigenous woodworking techniques was the fixed mortise and tenon joint, where the fixed tenon was made by shaping the end of one timber to fit into a mortise (or hole) that is cut into a second timber. A variation of this joint using a free tenon eventually became one of the most important features in Mediterranean and Egyptian shipbuilding. It creates a union between two planks or other components by inserting a separate tenon into a cavity (mortise) of the corresponding size cut into each component. }}</ref> }}


A study on First Dynasty crania from the royal tombs in Abydos generally demonstrated greater affinity with [[Kerma]] [[Kingdom of Kush|Kushites]], and Upper Nile Valley groups.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Keita |first1=S. O. Y. |title=Further studies of crania from ancient Northern Africa: An analysis of crania from First Dynasty Egyptian tombs, using multiple discriminant functions |journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology |date=1992 |volume=87 |issue=3 |pages=245–254 |doi=10.1002/ajpa.1330870302 |pmid=1562056 |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ajpa.1330870302 |language=en |issn=1096-8644|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Moreover, the analysis too found clear change from earlier craniometric trends, as "lower Egyptian, Maghrebian, and European patterns are observed also, thus making for great diversity". The gene flow and movement of northern officials to the important southern city may explain the findings.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Keita |first=S. O. Y. |date=1992 |title=Further studies of crania from ancient Northern Africa: An analysis of crania from First Dynasty Egyptian tombs, using multiple discriminant functions |url=https://www.academia.edu/29592423 |journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology |volume=87 |issue=3 |pages=245–254 |doi=10.1002/ajpa.1330870302 |issn=0002-9483 |pmid=1562056}}</ref>  
A study on First Dynasty [[Craniometry|crania]] from the royal tombs in Abydos generally demonstrated greater affinity with [[Kerma]] [[Kingdom of Kush|Kushites]], and Upper Nile Valley groups.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Keita |first1=S. O. Y. |title=Further studies of crania from ancient Northern Africa: An analysis of crania from First Dynasty Egyptian tombs, using multiple discriminant functions |journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology |date=1992 |volume=87 |issue=3 |pages=245–254 |doi=10.1002/ajpa.1330870302 |pmid=1562056 |bibcode=1992AJPA...87..245K |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ajpa.1330870302 |language=en |issn=1096-8644|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Moreover, the analysis too found clear change from earlier craniometric trends, as "lower Egyptian, Maghrebian, and European patterns are observed also, thus making for great diversity". The gene flow and movement of northern officials to the important southern city may explain the findings.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Keita |first=S. O. Y. |date=1992 |title=Further studies of crania from ancient Northern Africa: An analysis of crania from First Dynasty Egyptian tombs, using multiple discriminant functions |url=https://www.academia.edu/29592423 |journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology |volume=87 |issue=3 |pages=245–254 |doi=10.1002/ajpa.1330870302 |issn=0002-9483 |pmid=1562056 |bibcode=1992AJPA...87..245K }}</ref>


<gallery>
<gallery>
File:Narmer_Palette.jpg|The [[Narmer Palette]]
File:Alabaster vessels from a 1st Dynasty cemetery, Abu Roach. Louvre Museum AF 9149, AF 9148.jpg|Alabaster vessels from a 1st Dynasty cemetery, [[Abu Roach]]. Louvre Museum AF 9149, AF 9148
File:Mace-head_of_King_Narmer.jpg|[[Narmer Macehead]]
File:Mace-head_of_King_Narmer.jpg|[[Narmer Macehead]]
File:Necklaces with different types of beads. Carnelian, coral, and garnet. 1st Dynasty, c. 3000 BCE. From the Tomb of Mena, Naqada or Abydos Cemetery B, Egypt. The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, London.jpg|Necklaces with different types of beads. [[Carnelian]], coral, and garnet.
File:Sabef stela, 1st Dynasty (horizontal).jpg|[[Sabef|Sabef stela]] in incipient [[hieroglyphs]]. Reign of [[Qa'a]], end of the 1st Dynasty, ca. 2910 BC. The stela of Merka is similar.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Emery |first1=Walter B. (Walter Bryan) |title=Great tombs of the first dynasty. 3 |date=1958 |publisher=London : Egypt exploration Society |page=105 |url=https://archive.org/details/greattombsoffirs0003emer}}</ref>
File:Pottery jar with integral strainer. 1st Dynasty, Early Dynastic Period. From Egypt. The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, London.jpg|Pottery jar with integral strainer.
File:Wooden funerary sculpture mask of King Den. 1st Dynasty, Old Kingdom, Third Millenium BC, 2873 BC - 2859 BC. Abydos (composite).jpg|Depiction of [[Den (pharaoh)|King Den]]. Composite statue found within Tomb T at Umm el-Qa'ab.<ref>{{cite web |title=Face from a composite statue of king Den |url=https://collections.mfa.org/objects/267492/face-from-a-composite-statue-of-king-den |website=collections.mfa.org |language=en}}</ref>
</gallery>
 
==Conflicts==
[[File:Abydos ivory tablet from tomb of King Qa'a. Asiatic prisoner.jpg|thumb|Asiatic prisoner. Abydos ivory tablet from the tomb of King [[Qa'a]] (ca. 2910 BC).<ref name="WSS">{{cite journal |last1=Smith |first1=William Stevenson |title=Two Archaic Egyptian Sculptures |journal=Boston Museum Bulletin |date=1967 |volume=65 |issue=340 |page=70ff |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4171473 |issn=0006-7997}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Petrie |first1=W. M. Flinders (William Matthew Flinders) |title=The royal tombs of the first dynasty, 1900-1901 |date=1900 |publisher=London; Boston : Egypt Exploration Fund |page=Plate XVII |url=https://archive.org/details/royaltombsfirst1petr/page/XVII/mode/1up}}</ref>]]
Artifacts of the First Dynasty contain numerous depictions of captured foreigners, possibly alluding to the campaign to conquer Lower Egypt and the Nile Delta, and the accomplishment of the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt.<ref name="WSS74"/> Various ethnic types seems to be represented: Asiatic-looking foreigners with full beards and straight hair, possibly alluding to vanquished people from the eastern parts of the Nile delta, or naked individuals with curly hair, possibly Libyan tribes from the western Nile delta.<ref name="WSS74">{{cite journal |last1=Smith |first1=William Stevenson |title=Two Archaic Egyptian Sculptures |journal=Boston Museum Bulletin |date=1967 |volume=65 |issue=340 |page=74 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4171473 |issn=0006-7997 |quote=It has generally been agreed that a large part of this representational material is concerned with recording various steps leading to the unification of Egypt in Dynasty I, that is the subjugation of the north by the southerners who dedicated their monuments in the old shrine at Hierakonpolis, as well as at Abydos from which some of the slate palettes are said to have come.}}</ref> Depiction of West-Asiatic-looking foreigners were found in the tomb of Pharaoh [[Qa'a]], and the [[Narmer Palette]] also exhibits similar scenes of conquest over alien people.<ref name="WSS"/>
 
<gallery>
File:EB1911 Egypt - Early Art - King Narmer, Slate Palette.jpg|The [[Narmer Palette]], Pharaoh [[Narmer]] subduing an enemy
File:Captive with feather in the hair. First dynasty of Egypt, Mena or earlier.jpg|Naked captive with feather in the hair. First dynasty of Egypt, Tomb of [[Menes]] B17, [[Abydos Dynasty|Abydos]].
File:Group of captives. First Dynasty of Egypt, Mena or earlier.jpg|Group of captives. First Dynasty of Egypt, Menes or earlier.
File:Subject with headdress and spotted robe, possibly a Lybian, paying homage. First Dynasty, 2960–2770, Tomb of Menes B17, Abydos (cropped).jpg|Vassal subject with headdress and spotted robe, possibly a [[Ancient Libya|Libyan]], paying homage. First Dynasty, 2960–2770, Tomb of [[Menes]] B17, [[Abydos Dynasty|Abydos]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Smith |first1=William Stevenson |title=Two Archaic Egyptian Sculptures |journal=Boston Museum Bulletin |date=1967 |volume=65 |issue=340 |page=76, Figure 7 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4171473 |issn=0006-7997}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Ivory plaque with figure of a tributary holding a branch |url=https://collections.mfa.org/objects/132498/ivory-plaque-with-figure-of-a-tributary-holding-a-branch;jsessionid=D7D7FB15975A3C3362EB6528E0F2773D?ctx=c0f391c0-bc66-4424-908c-10f5658c4663&idx=5 |website=collections.mfa.org |language=en}}</ref>
</gallery>
</gallery>


==Human sacrifice==
==Human sacrifice==
{{Main articles|Ancient Egyptian retainer sacrifices}}
{{Main|Ancient Egyptian retainer sacrifices}}
[[File:Narmer_Palette.jpg|thumb|The [[Narmer Palette]]]]
[[Human sacrifice]] was practiced as part of the funerary rituals associated with all of the pharaohs of the first dynasty.  It is clearly demonstrated as existing during this dynasty by retainers being buried near each pharaoh's tomb as well as animals sacrificed for the burial. The tomb of Djer is associated with the burials of 338 individuals.{{Sfnp| Shaw | 2000 | p = 68}}  The people and animals sacrificed, such as [[donkey]]s, were expected to assist the pharaoh in the [[afterlife]]. For unknown reasons, this practice ended with the conclusion of the dynasty.
[[Human sacrifice]] was practiced as part of the funerary rituals associated with all of the pharaohs of the first dynasty.  It is clearly demonstrated as existing during this dynasty by retainers being buried near each pharaoh's tomb as well as animals sacrificed for the burial. The tomb of Djer is associated with the burials of 338 individuals.{{Sfnp| Shaw | 2000 | p = 68}}  The people and animals sacrificed, such as [[donkey]]s, were expected to assist the pharaoh in the [[afterlife]]. For unknown reasons, this practice ended with the conclusion of the dynasty.


According to historian and [[linguist]] [[Christopher Ehret]], the ritual practice of retainer sacrifice originated from the southern region in the Middle Nile. Ehret also stated that this cultural practice was shared with the [[Kerma culture|Kerma kingdom]] of the Upper Nubian Nile region.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ehret |first1=Christopher |title=Ancient Africa: A Global History, to 300 CE |date=20 June 2023 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-0-691-24409-9 |page=114 |language=en}}</ref>
According to American historian and [[linguist]], [[Christopher Ehret]], the ritual practice of retainer sacrifice originated from the southern region in the Middle Nile. Ehret also stated that this cultural practice was shared with the [[Kerma culture|Kerma kingdom]] of the Upper Nubian [[Nile Valley|Nile region]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ehret |first1=Christopher |title=Ancient Africa: A Global History, to 300 CE |date=20 June 2023 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-0-691-24409-9 |page=114 |language=en}}</ref>


==Rulers==
==Rulers==
Line 70: Line 83:
|-
|-


| [[Narmer]]
| [[Narmer]]/ [[Menes]]
| {{center|[[File:NarmerPalette-CloseUpOfNarmer-ROM.png|110px]]}}
| {{center|[[File:NarmerPalette-CloseUpOfNarmer-ROM.png|110px]]}}
| Believed to be the same person as [[Menes]] and to have unified Upper and [[Lower Egypt]]. Possibly married [[Neithhotep]].
| Believed to be the same person as [[Menes]] and to have unified Upper and [[Lower Egypt]]. Possibly married [[Neithhotep]].
Line 99: Line 112:
|-
|-
| [[Den (pharaoh)|Den]]
| [[Den (pharaoh)|Den]]
| {{center|[[File:Den label.jpg|110px]]}}
| {{center|[[File:Wooden funerary sculpture mask of King Den. 1st Dynasty, Old Kingdom, Third Millenium BC, 2873 BC - 2859 BC. Abydos (composite).jpg|110px]]}}
| Greek form: ''Kénkenes'' (after the ramesside diction of his birthname: ''Qenqen''<ref>William Matthew Flinders Petrie: ''The Royal Tombs of the Earliest Dynasties''. Cambridge University Press, New York 2013 (reprint of 1901), {{ISBN|1-108-06612-7}}, p. 49.</ref>). First pharaoh depicted wearing the double crown of Egypt, first pharaoh with a full ''niswt bity''-name.
| Greek form: ''Kénkenes'' (after the ramesside diction of his birthname: ''Qenqen''<ref>William Matthew Flinders Petrie: ''The Royal Tombs of the Earliest Dynasties''. Cambridge University Press, New York 2013 (reprint of 1901), {{ISBN|1-108-06612-7}}, p. 49.</ref>). First pharaoh depicted wearing the double crown of Egypt, first pharaoh with a full ''niswt bity''-name.
| {{Center|c. 2970 BC}}
| {{Center|c. 2970 BC}}
Line 109: Line 122:
|Possibly first female Pharaoh
|Possibly first female Pharaoh
(or ruled as regent to her son Den or ruled as both king/queen and regent). Merneith was buried close to Djet and Den. Her tomb is of the same scale as the tombs of the (other) kings of that period.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Tyldesley|first=J.|title=Chronicle of the Queens of Egypt|publisher=Thames & Hudson|year=2006}}</ref>
(or ruled as regent to her son Den or ruled as both king/queen and regent). Merneith was buried close to Djet and Den. Her tomb is of the same scale as the tombs of the (other) kings of that period.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Tyldesley|first=J.|title=Chronicle of the Queens of Egypt|publisher=Thames & Hudson|year=2006}}</ref>
|{{center|c. 2950 BC<ref>{{Cite book|editor-last=Teeter|editor-first=Emily |title=Before the Pyramids, The Origins of Egyptian Civilization|publisher=The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago|year=2011|pages=207}}</ref>}}
|{{center|c. 2950 BC<ref>{{Cite book|editor-last=Teeter|editor-first=Emily |title=Before the Pyramids, The Origins of Egyptian Civilization|publisher=The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago|year=2011|page=207}}</ref>}}
|
|
| Mother of [[Den (pharaoh)|Den]].
| Mother of [[Den (pharaoh)|Den]].
Line 145: Line 158:
| {{center|c. 2900 BC}}
| {{center|c. 2900 BC}}
|
|
|}
== Comparison of regnal lists ==
The surviving ancient king lists like [[Turin King List|Turin]], [[Abydos King List|Abydos]] and [[Saqqara Tablet|Saqqara]], all from the [[New Kingdom of Egypt]], provide a list of kings of this dynasty and are in broad agreement on the order of the kings in this dynasty.
{| class="wikitable"
|+
! Historical Pharaoh
! [[Abydos King List]]
! [[Turin King List]]
! [[Manetho]]<ref name="Manetho">{{Cite web |last=Lundström |first=Peter |title=The Dynasties of Manetho |url=https://pharaoh.se/ancient-egypt/kinglist/manetho-king-list/ |access-date=2024-11-05 |website=Pharaoh.se |language=en}}</ref>
|-
| [[Narmer]]
| Meni
| Meni
| Menes
|-
| [[Hor-Aha|Aha]]
| Teti
| Teti
| Athotís
|-
| [[Djer]]
| Iti
| Iti
| Uenéphes
|-
| [[Djet]]
| Ita
| Itui
| Usapháis
|-
| [[Den (pharaoh)|Den]]
| Septi
| Qenti
| Kénkenes
|-
| [[Anedjib]]
| Meribiap
| Meribiapen
| Miebidós
|-
| [[Semerkhet]]
| Semsu
| Semsen
| Semempsés
|-
| [[Qa'a]]
| Qebeh
| Qebeh
| Bienéches
|}
|}


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{{s-start}}
{{s-bef
{{s-bef
| before = [[Naqada III|Protodynastic Egypt]]
| before = [[Dynasty 0]]
}}
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{{s-ttl
{{s-ttl

Latest revision as of 23:11, 23 December 2025

Template:Short description Template:Infobox Former Country Template:Egyptian Dynasty list The First Dynasty of ancient Egypt (Dynasty I)Template:Sfnp covers the first series of Egyptian kings to rule over a unified Egypt. It immediately follows the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt, by Menes, or Narmer,[1] and marks the beginning of the Early Dynastic Period, when power was centered at Thinis.

The date of this period is subject to scholarly debate about the Egyptian chronology. It falls within the early Bronze Age and is variously estimated to have begun anywhere between the 34th and the 30th centuriesScript error: No such module "String".BC. In a 2013 study based on radiocarbon dates, the accession of Hor-Aha, the second king of the First Dynasty, was placed between 3111 and 3045 BC with 68% confidence, and between 3218 and 3035 with 95% confidence.[2] The same study placed the accession of Den, the sixth king of the dynasty, between 2928 and 2911 BC with 68% confidence,[2] although a 2023 radiocarbon analysis placed Den's accession potentially earlier, between 3011 and 2921, within a broader window of 3104 to 2913.[3]

The dynasty

Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". Information about this dynasty is derived from a few monuments and other objects bearing royal names, the most important being the Narmer Palette and Narmer Macehead, as well as Den and Qa'a king lists.[4][5][6] No detailed records of the first two dynasties have survived, except for the terse lists on the Palermo Stone. The account in Manetho's Aegyptiaca contradicts both the archeological evidence and the other historical records: Manetho names nine rulers of the First Dynasty, only one of whose names matches the other sources, and offers information for only four of them.[7] Egyptian hieroglyphs were fully developed by then, and their shapes would be used with little change for more than three thousand years.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

Alena Buis noted: <templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />

"Large tombs of pharaohs at Abydos and Naqada, in addition to cemeteries at Saqqara and Helwan near Memphis, reveal structures built largely of wood and mud bricks, with some small use of stone for walls and floors. Stone was used in quantity for the manufacture of ornaments, vessels, and occasionally, for statues. Tamarix ("tamarisk" or "salt cedar") was used to build boats such as the Abydos boats. One of the most important indigenous woodworking techniques was the fixed mortise and tenon joint. A fixed tenon was made by shaping the end of one timber to fit into a mortise (hole) that is cut into a second timber. A variation of this joint using a free tenon eventually became one of the most important features in Mediterranean and Egyptian shipbuilding. It creates a union between two planks or other components by inserting a separate tenon into a cavity (mortise) of the corresponding size cut into each component."

— Template:Comma separated entries

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A study on First Dynasty crania from the royal tombs in Abydos generally demonstrated greater affinity with Kerma Kushites, and Upper Nile Valley groups.[9] Moreover, the analysis too found clear change from earlier craniometric trends, as "lower Egyptian, Maghrebian, and European patterns are observed also, thus making for great diversity". The gene flow and movement of northern officials to the important southern city may explain the findings.[10]

Conflicts

File:Abydos ivory tablet from tomb of King Qa'a. Asiatic prisoner.jpg
Asiatic prisoner. Abydos ivory tablet from the tomb of King Qa'a (ca. 2910 BC).[13][14]

Artifacts of the First Dynasty contain numerous depictions of captured foreigners, possibly alluding to the campaign to conquer Lower Egypt and the Nile Delta, and the accomplishment of the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt.[15] Various ethnic types seems to be represented: Asiatic-looking foreigners with full beards and straight hair, possibly alluding to vanquished people from the eastern parts of the Nile delta, or naked individuals with curly hair, possibly Libyan tribes from the western Nile delta.[15] Depiction of West-Asiatic-looking foreigners were found in the tomb of Pharaoh Qa'a, and the Narmer Palette also exhibits similar scenes of conquest over alien people.[13]

Human sacrifice

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File:Narmer Palette.jpg
The Narmer Palette

Human sacrifice was practiced as part of the funerary rituals associated with all of the pharaohs of the first dynasty. It is clearly demonstrated as existing during this dynasty by retainers being buried near each pharaoh's tomb as well as animals sacrificed for the burial. The tomb of Djer is associated with the burials of 338 individuals.Template:Sfnp The people and animals sacrificed, such as donkeys, were expected to assist the pharaoh in the afterlife. For unknown reasons, this practice ended with the conclusion of the dynasty.

According to American historian and linguist, Christopher Ehret, the ritual practice of retainer sacrifice originated from the southern region in the Middle Nile. Ehret also stated that this cultural practice was shared with the Kerma kingdom of the Upper Nubian Nile region.[18]

Rulers

Known rulers in the history of Egypt for the First Dynasty are as follows:

Name Image Comments Start of Reign Length of Reign Family
Narmer/ Menes
File:NarmerPalette-CloseUpOfNarmer-ROM.png
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Believed to be the same person as Menes and to have unified Upper and Lower Egypt. Possibly married Neithhotep.
c. 3273–2987 BC
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Married with Neithotep, and father of Hor-Aha
Hor-Aha
File:GlazedFiaenceVesselFragmentNameOfAha-BritishMuseum-August21-08.jpg
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Greek form: Athotís. Led an expedition against the Nubians. Married Benerib and Khenthap.
c. 3100 BC
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Son of Narmer and Neithotep, spouse of Khenthap, Benerib, and father of Djer.
Djer
File:Djer cylinder seal.png
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Greek form: Uenéphes (after his Gold name In-nebw); His name and titulary appear on the Palermo Stone. His tomb was later thought to be the legendary tomb of Osiris.
c. 3000 BC
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54 years[19]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Son of Hor-Aha, and father of Djet and Merneith.
Djet
File:Egypte louvre 290.jpg
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Greek form: Usapháis. Possibly married Ahaneith.
c. 2980 BC
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10 years[20]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Spouse of Merneith, and father of Den
Den
File:Wooden funerary sculpture mask of King Den. 1st Dynasty, Old Kingdom, Third Millenium BC, 2873 BC - 2859 BC. Abydos (composite).jpg
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Greek form: Kénkenes (after the ramesside diction of his birthname: Qenqen[21]). First pharaoh depicted wearing the double crown of Egypt, first pharaoh with a full niswt bity-name.
c. 2970 BC
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42 years[20]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Son of Merneith and Djet.
Merneith
File:Merneith stele.jpg
 Possibly first female Pharaoh

(or ruled as regent to her son Den or ruled as both king/queen and regent). Merneith was buried close to Djet and Den. Her tomb is of the same scale as the tombs of the (other) kings of that period.[22]

c. 2950 BC[23]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Mother of Den.
Anedjib
File:Anedjib Closeup.jpg
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Greek form: Miebidós. Known for his ominous nebwy-title.[24]
c. 2930 BC
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8–10 years
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Son of Den.
Semerkhet
File:PotterySherdWithNameOfSemerkhet-PetrieMuseum-August21-08.jpg
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Greek form: Semempsés. First Egyptian ruler with a fully developed Nebty name. His complete reign is preserved on the Cairo stone.
c. 2920 BC
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<templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />8+1⁄2 years[20]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Son of Anedjib.
Qa'a
File:CroppedStelaOfQaa.JPG
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Greek form: Bienéches. Ruled a long time, his tomb is the last one with subsidiary tombs.
c. 2910 BC
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33 years
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Son of Semerkhet, and father of Hotepsekhemwy.
Sneferka
File:Sneferka.png
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Very short reign, correct chronological position unknown.
c. 2900 BC
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Horus Bird
File:BirdFraegment.png
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Very short reign, correct chronological position unknown.
c. 2900 BC
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Comparison of regnal lists

The surviving ancient king lists like Turin, Abydos and Saqqara, all from the New Kingdom of Egypt, provide a list of kings of this dynasty and are in broad agreement on the order of the kings in this dynasty.

Historical Pharaoh Abydos King List Turin King List Manetho[25]
Narmer Meni Meni Menes
Aha Teti Teti Athotís
Djer Iti Iti Uenéphes
Djet Ita Itui Usapháis
Den Septi Qenti Kénkenes
Anedjib Meribiap Meribiapen Miebidós
Semerkhet Semsu Semsen Semempsés
Qa'a Qebeh Qebeh Bienéches

See also

References

Citations

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  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1". Available online Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1"..
  5. ↑ The Narmer Catalog http://narmer.org/inscription/1553 Template:Webarchive
  6. ↑ The Narmer Catalog http://narmer.org/inscription/4048 Template:Webarchive
  7. ↑ Manetho, Fr. 6, 7a, 7b. Text and translation in Manetho, translated by W.G. Waddell (Cambridge: Harvard University, 1940), pp. 27–35
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Wolfgang Helck: Untersuchungen zur Thinitenzeit (= Ägyptologische Abhandlungen (ÄA), Vol. 45). Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 1987, Template:ISBN, p. 124.
  20. ↑ a b c Wolfgang Helck: Untersuchungen zur Thinitenzeit (Agyptologische Abhandlungen), Template:ISBN, O. Harrassowitz (1987), p. 124
  21. ↑ William Matthew Flinders Petrie: The Royal Tombs of the Earliest Dynasties. Cambridge University Press, New York 2013 (reprint of 1901), Template:ISBN, p. 49.
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ Nicolas-Christophe Grimal: A History of Ancient Egypt. Blackwell, Oxford UK/ Cambridge USA 1992, Template:ISBN, p. 53.
  25. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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Bibliography

  • Script error: No such module "citation/CS1"..
  • Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check Dynasty of Egypt
c. 3100 – 2890 BC Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by

Template:Pharaohs Script error: No such module "Navbox". Template:First Dynasty of Ancient Egypt

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