The Saqqara Tablet, now in the Egyptian Museum, is an ancient stone engraving surviving from the Ramesside Period of Egypt which features a list of pharaohs. It was found in 1861 in Saqqara, in the tomb of Tjuneroy (or Tjenry), an official ("chief lector priest" and "Overseer of Works on All Royal Monuments") of the pharaoh Ramesses II. [1]
The inscription lists fifty-eight kings, from Anedjib and Qa'a (First Dynasty) to Ramesses II (Nineteenth Dynasty), in reverse chronological order, omitting "rulers from the Second Intermediate Period, the Hyksos, and those rulers... who had been close to the heretic Akhenaten". [2]
The names (each surrounded by a border known as a cartouche), of which only forty-seven survive, are badly damaged. As with other Egyptian king lists, the Saqqara Tablet omits certain kings and entire dynasties. The list counts backward from Ramesses II to the mid-point of the First Dynasty, except for the Eleventh and Twelfth Dynasties, which are reversed. A well known photograph of the king list was published in 1865. [3] Detailed and high resolution images are able to be viewed online and inside the book Inside the Egyptian Museum with Zahi Hawass [4]
The names are listed in reverse chronological order from the upper right to the bottom left, as they were meant to be read.
Upper row | Bottom row | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Pharaoh | Name written in the list | No. | Pharaoh | Name written in the list |
1 | Ramesses II | User-maat-ra-setep-en-ra | 30 | Neferefre | Kha-nefer-ra |
2 | Seti I | Men-maat-ra | 31 | Shepseskare | Shepses-ka-ra |
3 | Ramesses I | Men-peh-ti-ra | 32 | Neferirkare Kakai | Nefer-ir-ka-ra |
4 | Horemheb | Djeser-kheperu-ra-setep-en-ra | 33 | Sahure | Sahura |
5 | Name destroyed | Name destroyed | 34 | Userkaf | User-ka-f |
6 | Name destroyed | Name destroyed | 35 | Name destroyed | Name destroyed |
7 | Name destroyed | Name destroyed | 36 | Name destroyed | Name destroyed |
8 | Name destroyed | Name destroyed | 37 | Name destroyed | Name destroyed |
9 | Name destroyed | Name destroyed | 38 | Name destroyed | Name destroyed |
10 | Name destroyed | Name destroyed | 39 | Name destroyed | Name destroyed |
11 | Amenhotep I | Djeser-ka-ra | 40 | Khafre | Kha-f-ra |
12 | Ahmose I | Neb-pehti-ra | 41 | Djedefra | Djed-ef-re |
13 | Mentuhotep II | Nebhepetre | 42 | Khufu | Khufu |
14 | Mentuhotep III | Se-ankh-ka-ra | 43 | Sneferu | Sneferu |
15 | Amenemhat I | Se-hetep-ib-ra | 44 | Huni | Huni |
16 | Senusret I | Kheper-ka-ra | 45 | Nebka | Neb-ka-ra |
17 | Amenemhat II | Nub-kau-ra | 46 | Sekhemkhet | Djoser-teti |
18 | Senusret II | Kha-kheper-ra | 47 | Djoser | Djoser |
19 | Senusret III | Kha-khau-ra | 48 | Khasekhemwy | Beby |
20 | Amenemhat III | Ni-maat-ra | 49 | Hudjefa | "Name missing" |
21 | Amenemhat IV | Maat-kheru-ra | 50 | Sekhemib-Perenmaat? | Nefer-ka-sokar |
22 | Sobekneferu | Ka-sobek-re | 51 | Seth-Peribsen? | Nefer-ka-ra |
23 | Pepi II Neferkare | Nefer-ka-ra | 52 | Senedj | Senedj |
24 | Merenre Nemtyemsaf I | Mer-en-ra | 53 | Wadjenes | Wadjlas |
25 | Pepi I Meryre | Pepi | 54 | Nynetjer | Ba-netjeru |
26 | Teti | Teti | 55 | Raneb | Kakau |
27 | Unas | Unis | 56 | Hotepsekhemwy | Bau-netjer |
28 | Djedkare | Maat-ka-ra | 57 | Qa'a | Qe-behu |
29 | Menkauhor | Men-kau-hor | 58 | Anedjib | Merbapen |
As names 5-10 and 35-39 are missing or badly damaged, the following names are suggested to have once been listed here. Note that this reconstruction is based on other kings lists and circumstantial evidence.
Upper row | Bottom row | ||
---|---|---|---|
5 | Amenhotep III | 34 | Userkaf |
6 | Thutmose IV | 35 | Khentkaus I? |
7 | Amenhotep II | 36 | Thamphthis? |
8 | Thutmose III | 37 | Shepseskaf |
9 | Thutmose II | 38 | Menkaure |
10 | Thutmose I | 39 | Bicheris? |
Abydos is one of the oldest cities of ancient Egypt, and also of the eighth nome in Upper Egypt. It is located about 11 kilometres west of the Nile at latitude 26° 10' N, near the modern Egyptian towns of El Araba El Madfuna and El Balyana. In the ancient Egyptian language, the city was called Abedju (Arabic Abdu عبد-و). The English name Abydos comes from the Greek Ἄβυδος, a name borrowed by Greek geographers from the unrelated city of Abydos on the Hellespont. Abydos name in hieroglyphs
Saqqara, also spelled Sakkara or Saccara in English, is an Egyptian village in the markaz (county) of Badrashin in the Giza Governorate, that contains ancient burial grounds of Egyptian royalty, serving as the necropolis for the ancient Egyptian capital, Memphis. Saqqara contains numerous pyramids, including the Pyramid of Djoser, sometimes referred to as the Step Tomb, and a number of mastaba tombs. Located some 30 km (19 mi) south of modern-day Cairo, Saqqara covers an area of around 7 by 1.5 km.
Usermaatre Meryamun Ramesses III was the second Pharaoh of the Twentieth Dynasty in Ancient Egypt. Some scholars date his reign from 26 March 1186 to 15 April 1155 BC, and he considered to be the last great king of the New Kingdom.
Tanis or San al-Hagar is the Greek name for ancient Egyptian ḏꜥn.t, an important archaeological site in the northeastern Nile Delta of Egypt, and the location of a city of the same name. It is located on the Tanitic branch of the Nile, which has long since silted up.
Articles related to Egypt include:
Zahi Abass Hawass is an Egyptian archaeologist, Egyptologist, and former Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs, serving twice. He has also worked at archaeological sites in the Nile Delta, the Western Desert and the Upper Nile Valley.
François Auguste Ferdinand Mariette was a French scholar, archaeologist and Egyptologist, and the founder of the Egyptian Department of Antiquities, the forerunner of the Supreme Council of Antiquities.
The Supreme Council of Antiquities was a department of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture from 1994 to 2011. It was the government body responsible for the conservation, protection and regulation of all antiquities and archaeological excavations in Egypt, and was a reorganization of the Egyptian Antiquities Organisation, under Presidential Decree No. 82 of Hosni Mubarak.
Userkhaure-setepenre Setnakhte was the first pharaoh (1189 BC–1186 BC) of the Twentieth Dynasty of the New Kingdom of Egypt and the father of Ramesses III.
Userkaf was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the founder of the Fifth Dynasty. He reigned for seven to eight years in the early 25th century BC, during the Old Kingdom period. He probably belonged to a branch of the Fourth Dynasty royal family, although his parentage is uncertain; he could have been the son of Khentkaus I. He had at least one daughter and very probably a son, Sahure, with his consort Neferhetepes. This son succeeded him as pharaoh.
Menkauhor Kaiu was an Ancient Egyptian pharaoh of the Old Kingdom period. He was the seventh ruler of the Fifth Dynasty at the end of the 25th century BC or early in the 24th century BC.
Nyuserre Ini was an Ancient Egyptian pharaoh, the sixth ruler of the Fifth Dynasty during the Old Kingdom period. He is credited with a reign of 24 to 35 years depending on the scholar, and likely lived in the second half of the 25th century BCE. Nyuserre was the younger son of Neferirkare Kakai and queen Khentkaus II, and the brother of the short-lived king Neferefre. He may have succeeded his brother directly, as indicated by much later historical sources. Alternatively, Shepseskare may have reigned between the two as advocated by Miroslav Verner, albeit only for a few weeks or months at the most. The relation of Shepseskare with Neferefre and Nyuserre remains highly uncertain. Nyuserre was in turn succeeded by Menkauhor Kaiu, who could have been his nephew and a son of Neferefre.
Shepseskare or Shepseskara was an Ancient Egyptian pharaoh, the fourth or fifth ruler of the Fifth Dynasty during the Old Kingdom period. Shepseskare lived in the mid-25th century BC and was probably the owner of an unfinished pyramid in Abusir, which was abandoned after a few weeks of work in the earliest stages of its construction.
Tomb KV35 is the tomb of Pharaoh Amenhotep II located in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt. Later, it was used as a cache for other royal mummies. It was discovered by Victor Loret in March 1898.
Prince Khaemweset was the fourth son of Ramesses II and the second son by his queen Isetnofret. His contributions to Egyptian society were remembered for centuries after his death. Khaemweset has been described as "the first Egyptologist" due to his efforts in identifying and restoring historic buildings, tombs and temples.
Seqenenre Tao ruled over the last of the local kingdoms of the Theban region of Egypt in the Seventeenth Dynasty during the Second Intermediate Period. He probably was the son and successor to Senakhtenre Ahmose and Queen Tetisheri. The dates of his reign are uncertain, but he may have risen to power in the decade ending in 1560 BC or in 1558 BC. With his queen, Ahhotep I, Seqenenre Tao fathered two pharaohs, Kamose, his immediate successor who was the last pharaoh of the Seventeenth Dynasty, and Ahmose I who, following a regency by his mother, was the first pharaoh of the Eighteenth. Seqenenre Tao is credited with starting the opening moves in a war of revanchism against Hyksos incursions into Egypt, which saw the country completely liberated during the reign of his son Ahmose I.
The area of the Valley of the Kings, in Luxor, Egypt, has been a major area of modern Egyptological exploration for the last two centuries. Before this, the area was a site for tourism in antiquity. This area illustrates the changes in the study of ancient Egypt, beginning as antiquity hunting and ending with the scientific excavation of the whole Theban Necropolis. Despite the exploration and investigation noted below, only eleven of the tombs have actually been completely recorded.
The pyramid of Merikare is an ancient Egyptian pyramid that remains unidentified, but is attested by inscriptions on funerary steles and possibly is located in Saqqara. The pyramid is presumed to be the burial place of the Herakleopolitan pharaoh Merikare, who ruled toward the end of the Tenth Dynasty c. 2040 BC during the First Intermediate Period. Sometimes, the Headless Pyramid in North Saqqara is identified as the pyramid of Merikare, although the latter is more likely to belong to pharaoh Menkauhor.
The Stela of Pasenhor, also known as Stela of Harpeson in older literature, is an ancient Egyptian limestone stela dating back to the Year 37 of pharaoh Shoshenq V of the 22nd Dynasty. It was found in the Serapeum of Saqqara by Auguste Mariette and later moved to The Louvre, where it is still.
The Stele of Piye, also known as the Victory Stele of Piye, is an Ancient Egyptian stele detailing the victory of Kushite King Piye against Prince Tefnakht of Sais and his allies. It was discovered in Jebel Barkal and is currently part of the collection of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Egypt.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)