Semerkhet
Semerkhet is the Horus name of an early Egyptian king who ruled during
the 1st dynasty. This ruler became known through a tragic legend handed
down by ancient Greek historian Manetho, who reported that a calamity of
some sort occurred during Semerkhet's reign. The archaeological records
seem to support the view that Semerkhet had a difficult time as king
and some early archaeologists even questioned the legitimacy of
Semerkhet's succession to the Egyptian throne.
Manetho credited him with a reign of 18 years, while the Royal Canon of
Turin credited him with an implausibly long reign of 72 years.
Egyptologists and historians now consider both statements as
exaggerations and credit Semerkhet with a reign of 8 1/2 years. This
evaluation is based on the Cairo Stone inscription, where the complete
reign of Semerkhet has been recorded. Additionally, they point to the
archaeological records, which strengthen the view that Semerkhet had a
relatively short reign.
Semerkhet is well attested in archaeological records. His name appears
in inscriptions on vessels made of schist, alabaster, breccia and
marble. His name is also preserved on ivory tags and earthen jar seals.
Objects bearing Semerkhet's name and titles come from Abydos and
Sakkara.
Semerkhet's serekh name is commonly translated as "companion of the
divine community" or "thoughtful friend". The latter translation is
questioned by many scholars, since the hieroglyph khet (Gardiner-sign
F32) normally was the symbol for "body" or "divine community".
Semerkhet's birth name is more problematic. Any artefact showing the
birth name curiously lacks any artistic detail of the used hieroglyphic
sign: a walking man with waving cloak or skirt, a nemes head dress and a
long, plain stick in his hands. The reading and meaning of this special
sign is disputed.
Egyptologists such as Toby Wilkinson, Bernhard Grdseloff and Jochem Kahl
read Iry-Netjer, meaning "He belongs to the gods". This word is often
written with single vowels nearby the ideogram of the man. Some ivory
tags show the Nebty name written with the single sign of a mouth
(Gardiner-sign D21). Therefore they read Semerkhet's throne name as Iry
(meaning "one of them/he who belongs to...") and the Nebty name as
Iry-Nebty (meaning "He who belongs to the Two Ladies").
This reconstruction is strengthened by the observation that Semerkhet
was the first king using the Nebty title in its ultimate form. For
unknown reason Semerkhet did not use the Nebuytitle of his predecessor.
It seems that he felt connected with the 'Two Ladies', a title referring
to the goddesses Nekhbet and Wadjet, both the female equivalents of
Horus and Seth. The Nebty title was thought to function as an addition
to the Nisut-Bity title.
Scribes and priests of the Ramesside era were also confused, because the
archaic ideogram that was used during Semerkhet's lifetime was very
similar to the sign of an old man with a walking stick (Gardiner sign
A19). This had been read as Semsu or Sem and means "the eldest". It was
used as a title identifying someone as the head of the house.
Due to this uncertainty, it seems that the compiler of the Abydos king
list simply tried to imitate the original figure, whilst the author of
the Royal Canon of Turin seems to have been convinced about reading it
as the Gardiner-sign A19 and he wrote Semsem with single vowels. The
Royal Table of Sakkara omits Semerkhet's throne name. The reason for
that is unknown, but all kings from Narmer up to king Den are also
missing their throne names.
Virtually nothing is known about Semerkhet's family. His parents are
unknown, but it is thought that one of his predecessors, king Den, might
have been his father. Semerkhet was possibly born to queen Betrest. On
the Cairo Stone she is described as his mother. Definite evidence for
that view has not yet been found. It would be expected that Semerkhet
had sons and daughters, but their names have not been preserved in the
historical record. A candidate for a possible member of his family line
is his immediate successor, king Qa'a.
An old theory, supported by Egyptologists and historians such as
Jean-Philippe Lauer, Walter Bryan Emery, Wolfgang Helck and Michael Rice
once held that Semerkhet was a usurper and not the rightful heir to the
throne. Their assumption was based on the observation that a number of
stone vessels with Semerkhet's name on them were originally inscribed
with king Adjib's name. Semerkhet simply erased Adjib's name and
replaced it with his own. Furthermore they point out that no high
official and priest associated with Semerkhet was found at Sakkara. All
other kings, such as Den and Adjib, are attested in local mastabas.
Today this theory has little support. Egyptologists such as Toby
Wilkinson, I. E. S. Edwards and Winifred Needler deny the 'usurping
theory', because Semerkhet's name is mentioned on stone vessel
inscriptions along with those of Den, Adjib and Qa'a. The objects were
found in the underground galleries beneath the step pyramid of (3rd
dynasty) king Djoser at Sakkara.
The inscriptions show that king Qa'a, immediate successor of Semerkhet
and sponsor of the vessels, accepted Semerkhet as a rightful ancestor
and heir to the throne. Furthermore, the Egyptologists point out that
nearly every king of 1st dynasty had the habit of taking special vessels
(so-called 'anniversary vessels') from their predecessor's tomb and
then replace their predecessor's name with their own.
Semerkhet not only confiscated Adjib's vessels, in his tomb several
artifacts from the necropolis of queen Meritneith and king Den were also
found. The lack of any high official's tomb at Sakkara might be
explained by the rather short reign of Semerkhet. It seems that the only
known official of Semerkhet, Henu-Ka, had survived his king: His name
appears on ivory tags from Semerkhet's and Qaa's tomb.
Seal impressions from Semerkhet's burial site show the new royal domain
Hor wep-khet (meaning "Horus, the judge of the divine community") and
the new private household Hut-Ipty (meaning "house of the harem"), which
was headed by Semerkhet's wives. Two ivory tags show the yearly 'Escort
of Horus', a feast connected to the regular tax collections. Other tags
report the cult celebration for the deity of the ancestors, Wer-Wadyt
("the Great White"). And further tags show the celebration of a first
(and only) Sokar feast.
While the Cairo Stone reports the whole of Semerkhet's reign,
unfortunately, the surface of the stone slab is badly worn and most of
the events are now illegible.
Egyptologists and historians pay special attention to the entrance
"Destruction of Egypt" in the second window of Semerkhet's year records.
The inscription gives no further information about that event. But it
has a resemblance to the Manetho's report. The Eusebius version says:
His son, Sememspes, who reigned for 18 years; in his reign a very great
calamity befell Egypt. The Armenian version sounds similar: Mempsis,
annis XVIII. Sub hoc multa prodigia itemque maxima lues acciderunt.
("Mempsis, 18 years. Under him many portents happened and a great
pestilence occurred."). Mysteriously none of the documents from after
Semerkhet's reign is able to report which kind of "calamity" took place
under Semerkhet.
Tomb
Semerkhet's burial site was excavated in 1899 by archaeologist and
Egyptologist Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie at Abydos and is known
as "Tomb U". While excavating, Petrie found no stairways like he did at
the necropolis of Den and Adjib. He found a ramp, four metres wide and
leading straight into the main chamber. The ramp starts around ten
metres east outside the tomb and has a base slope of 12° .
Scholars now think that Semerkhet's tomb was re-opened and restored when
Ramesside priests and kings saw the tomb of king Djer as the ritual
burial of Osiris's head. The findings inside the main chamber included
precious objects such as inlays and fragments of furniture (especially
pedestals), copper-made armatures and jewelry made of ebony, amethyst
and turquoise. Some vessels originating from the Levant were also found.
They once contained Bescha oil, which was of great value to the
Egyptians. Outside the tomb, close to the entrance, a damaged tomb stela
made of black granite displaying Semerkhet's serekh name was excavated.
Pottery sherd showing Semerkhet's serekh name
The burial chamber measures 29.2 x 20.8 metres and is of simple
construction. Petrie found that the king's mastaba once covered the
whole of the subsidiary tombs. Now the royal burial formed a unit with
the 67 subsidiary tombs. Egyptologists such as Walter Bryan Emery and
Toby Wilkinson see this architectural development as proof that the
royal family and household were killed willingly when their royal family
head had died. Wilkinson goes further and thinks that Semerkhet, as the
godlike king, tried to demonstrate his power over the death and life of
his servants and family members even in their afterlife. The tradition
of burying the family and court of the king when he died was abandoned
at the time of king Qaa, one of the last rulers of the 1st dynasty. The
tombs of 2nd dynasty founder Hotepsekhemwy onward have no subsidiary
tombs.
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