Narmer Palette

The Narmer Palette is a flat plate of schist of about 63 centimeters

in height found in Hieraknopolis. Its size, weight and decoration
suggest that it was a ceremonial palette, rather than an actual
cosmetics palette for daily use.The palette carved on both sides in
low raised relief.The figures are placed on baselines producing a
division into registers.

The top of the palette is 'decorated' in a similar manner on both

sides: the name of the king is inscribed in a so-called serekh or (the
palace façade)and it is written with 2 hieroglyphs (catfish,chisel).
between two cow heads with human face. which is interpreted as an
early reference to the cult of a cow-goddess, perhaps Bat. It is
possible that the bulls refer to the vigor and strength, of the king.

Front side: 3 registers

The front side shows a king, undoubtedly Narmer, ready to strike

down an enemy by his macehead whom he grabs by the hair. This
pose would become typical in Ancient Egyptian art. He wears a
short skirt (kilt)(shindit), an ox tail and the white crown that refers
to upper Egypt.

Behind him an apparently bald person holds the king's sandals in his
left hand and a basket with fresh water in his right, Called (sandal
bearer). The fact that the king is represented as barefooted and
followed by a sandal-bearer perhaps suggests a ritual nature for the
scene depicted on the palette.

The king's victim is kneeling before him, his arms flung next to his
body, as if to indicate that he was bound. And he is represented
naked.

Above the victim's head, facing the king, a falcon, symbol of the
king, is perched on top of the papyrus plant and holding with one of
his human hands a rope attached to an enemy nose the papyrus
plant that stands for the Lower Egypt. This shows that the king had
conquered Upper and Lower Egypt.

Underneath the king's feet, at the bottom of the palette, lie two
overthrown, naked enemies. One of their arms is raised up; the other
is drawn behind their backs. Their legs are sprawling. They were
looking at the king and running away from him.

Back Side: 4 registers

In the top scene of the palette's back (second register) Narmer the
most important figure, is represented wearing the Red Crown, that is
usually associated with Lower Egypt.He views 2 rows of enemy
bodies that have been decapitated and their heads placed between
their legs. He holds a mace in his left hand, while his right arm is
bent over his chest, holding some kind of flail. The two signs in from
of him represent his name, but they are not written in the serekh.
He is again followed by his sandal-bearer. The king is preceded by a
long-haired person wearing panther’s skin identified by 2 hieroglyphs
as tjet,( vizier).And four standard bearers. These standards might be
the emblems of the regions that already belonged to Narmer.

The third register shows a symmetrical group of 2 opposing animals

with long nicks twisted round one another, each controlled by a rope
around its neck that is held by a male figure. This perhaps
represents the forces of chaos that the king had to make to unit
Egypt.

Between the animal's necks, a circular area is a bit deeper than the
palette's surface. This lower circular area indicates the place where
a cosmetic was put if this were not a ceremonial palette.

The scene at the bottom of the palette's back face continues the
imagery of conquest and victory. A bull, almost certainly a symbol of
the king's vigour and strength, tramples a fallen enemy and attacks
the walls of a city or fortress with its horns. This fortress might be a
sympol of Lower Egypt and this is another evidence that the king
controlled Upper and Lower Egypt.
Namer Macehead

This mace head from Hieraknopolis commemorate the king’s victor

over his enemies.it shows the king sated in a kiosk on platform
reached by steps.

The king wears the red crown(Lower Egypt) and holding a flail and is
followed in the same register by the tjet official(vizer) and in the
regiser below his sandale bearer.He is accompined by 2 fan
bearer.There are also 4 standard bearers(2 falcons
,dog,placenta).The king is identified by the name of Narmer witten in
a serekh on which the horus falcon preches.

Above the king a vulture(Upper Egypt) protecting him,manifestation

of Nekhbet.

The vulture goddess had her cult centre at el Kab .

In front of the king a figure in round –topped carrying chair .behind it

in the same register 3 bearded ,naked figures and shown with their
hands bound together run between 2 side with 3 crescent shaped
markers a sympol of the area ruled by the king.The bound enemies
are placed between the markers to show that they are in the king’s
territory.
The Macehead of King 'Scorpion'

It is a rounded piece of limestone of 25 cm. high. Its dimensions and

the fact that it is decorated both show that it was intended as a
ritual artefact and not as a real mace head.

The central figure is king 'Scorpion', identified by the floral element

and the scorpion in front of him. He wears the White Crown, (usually
associated with Upper-Egypt), a simple skirt (kilt) and ox tail
extending from the back of the skirt. He holds a hoe in his hands,
ready to cut open the ground. Before him stands a man, facing the
king and pouring sand on the ground. This type of scene is known
throughout the Pharaonic history: it shows the king while preparing
the foundations of some kind of building. Below the king, a strip of
water is represented, which could indicate that 'Scorpion' is laying
the foundations of a dam or dike.

Behind the king, two fan bearers to protect the king from the heat,
and behind them, two registers of plants are shown. On the lowest
register, the plants are followed by some women clapping their
hands and dancing. The level above represents a seated person.
Before the king at least two men were standing carrying a standard,
representing the territories belonging to his kingdom.

Above the whole scene, at least seven standards are shown. On

each of them, a bird, perhaps representing the word "people", is
hanged by the neck. These standards are often interpreted as a
representation of the territories and the peoples conquered by
'Scorpion', showing that 'Scorpion' was a warrior-king.