The Pharaoh Narmer or Khufu?

Which pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 is this – Narmer 𓆢𓍋 or Khufu 𓐍𓅱𓆑𓅱?  We will probably never know!!  This is both the best and most frustrating part about Egyptology sometimes – it’s the mystery and the “not knowing.” 

The awkward photography aside (I have never claimed to be good at photography, just hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪), this is a very fascinating statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 at the Petrie Museum in London! Petrie thought this head of a statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 represented Narmer 𓆢𓍋, while Egyptologists today believe that it depicts Khufu 𓐍𓅱𓆑𓅱. 

Narmer 𓆢𓍋, also referred to as his throne name Menes 𓏠𓈖𓇋, was the first 𓏃 pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 of a united Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 and the founder of the First Dynasty. His rule 𓋾𓈎𓏏 began around 2900 B.C.E., which was when Upper 𓇓 and Lower Egypt 𓆤 were united into one kingdom. The “Narmer Palette” is the most famous depiction of this pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 as not much art has survived from so long ago. The name “Menes 𓏠𓈖𓇋” means “He Who Endures,” which is very fitting for Egypt’s 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 first 𓏃 pharaoh 𓉐𓉻!

Khufu 𓐍𓅱𓆑𓅱 was the second pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 of the Fourth Dynasty, and is most well known for commissioning the construction of what is now known as the “Great Pyramid 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴 of Giza.” This is the only aspect of Khufu’s 𓐍𓅱𓆑𓅱 reign 𓋾𓈎𓏏 that has been documented – we actually don’t know much about him! Only one small 𓈖𓆓𓋴𓅩 statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 of Khufu 𓐍𓅱𓆑𓅱 has been found to date, so it would be pretty cool if this was actually Khufu 𓐍𓅱𓆑𓅱! The name 𓂋𓈖 Khufu 𓐍𓅱𓆑𓅱 means “He Protects Me.” 

I actually have no idea who this statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 is meant to depict – it could honestly be either pharaoh 𓉐𓉻!

Who do you think is shown here – Narmer 𓆢𓍋 or Khufu 𓐍𓅱𓆑𓅱?