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: Djet, the 3rd King of Egypt's 1st Dynasty

Djet, the 3rd King of Egypt's 1st Dynasty

by i!!y Dunn

(e *elie"e that %&et (also called (ad&it! or )ad&i) succeeded %&er and we traditionally place his as the third kin. of /.ypt-s 0st %ynasty. %&et would ha"e pro*a*ly *een the son of %&er! thou.h we see to ha"e no real direct e"idence of this relationship. #owe"er! there i.ht ha"e *een a 1ueen that ruled *etween %&er and %&et. #er lar.e to * at $*ydos (2etrie-s To * 3) was thou.ht at one ti e to *elon. to a kin.. 4ore likely 4erneith (4eryetneith) was a dau.hter of %&er and a consort of %&et. $ fairly recent find of a clay seal at $*ydos that *ears her na e appears to indicate that she was pro*a*ly the other of %en! %&et-s successor. +he ay also ha"e acted as her youn. son-s re.ent upon the death of %&et. 5n this seal! her title was clearly .i"en as 67in.-s 4other6. 'f %&et is identical with )enephes fro 4anetho-s list! he is noted for a rei.n of 23 years. #owe"er! /.yptolo.ists do not see to place uch reliance on 4anetho-s list! thou.h there is

little if anythin. to su..est any other len.th for his rei.n. 'n .eneral! /.yptolo.ists for the part a"oid datin. this urky period of /.ypt-s early dynasties.

ost

Abydos "o!b #ayout %&et-s to * at $*ydos in an area known as ) el-8a-a* is 2etrie-s To * 9! located &ust west of %&er-s to *. / ile $ elineau and :linders 2etrie were the first to e;plore this to * around the turn of the century. 't was re-e;ca"ated *y (erner 7aiser and 8unther %reyer in 0988. :or any years! he was thou.ht to ha"e had a to * at +a11ara! *ut later in"esti.ation ascri*ed that structure to a no*le an na ed +ekhe -kha who pro*a*ly ser"ed under %&et! e"en thou.h the no*le an-s to * is lar.er than that of the kin... 't is noteworthy that there were so e 0<= su*sidiary *urials around his to * at $*ydos. 4ost! if not all of these were not fa ily e *ers as found around the to *s of latter kin.s! *ut rather retainers who had pro*a*ly *een put to death upon the death of %&et! in order to ser"e hi in the afterlife. These sacrificial *urials were uni1ue to this ti e period in /.ypt. Later kin.s would take usha*tis! sy *olic workers! to their .ra"es.

%urin. anti1uity! there is e"idence that %&et-s to *! alon. with other early to *s at $*ydos! has *een intentionally *urned. Later these to *s were re*uilt and associated with the cult of 5siris. $lso found at his to * was a stele! well known today! containin. the early hiero.lyphs of his na e. This was a snake sur ounted *y a falcon (#orus) with a sy *olic palace facade *elow the snake. 5ri.inally! there would ha"e *een a pair of these stele at the to * entrance. (e could interpret %&et-s "ery si ple na e to ean! 6#orus +erpent6 or 6#orus the +nake6 fro this stele and other inscriptions. The li estone stele ay *e found today in the Lou"re 4useu in 2aris. %&et is further attested to *y a seal i pression fro asta*a > in 8i?a.

Little else is know a*out this kin.. #e pro*a*ly ruled durin. a fairly prosperous period! if the rei.n of %&er is any indication! and we also *elie"e he ay ha"e sent an e;pedition to the @ed +ea! presu a*ly with the ai of e;ploitin. ines in the /aster %esert.

"he $y!bolic Palace %acade, %ront and "op &ie's References:

Title Author Date Publisher Thames and &udson 'td Thames and &udson 'td Reference Number ()BN *-+***+*,%-* (B)N *-+***+*6*-+ None )tated ()BN *$%65$+-9*-: ()BN *-#$6#+*=%-9

Chronicle of the Pharaohs (The Reign-ByReign Record of the Rulers and Dynasties Clayton! Peter A" of Ancient Egypt Complete -alley of the .ings! The (Tombs and Treasures of Egypt/s 0reatest Pharaohs &istory of Ancient Egypt! A 8onarchs of the Nile Ree1es! Nicholas2 3il4inson! Richard &" 0rimal! Nicolas Dodson! Aidan

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#$66 Blac47ell #$$+ Rubicon Press ;:ford 9*** <ni1ersity Press

;:ford &istory of Ancient Egypt! The

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