Tag: narmer

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Egyptian Artifacts

The Pharaoh Narmer or Khufu?

Which pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 is this – Narmer 𓆒𓍋 or Khufu 𓐍𓅱𓆑𓅱?Β  We will probably never know!!Β  This is both the best and most frustrating part about Egyptology sometimes – it’s the mystery and the β€œnot knowing.” 

Is this Pharaoh Narmer or Khufu? We will probably never know!

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

Narmer 𓆒𓍋, also referred to as his throne name Menes π“ π“ˆ–π“‡‹, was the first 𓏃 pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 of a united Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š– and the founder of the First Dynasty. His rule π“‹Ύπ“ˆŽπ“ began around 2900 B.C.E., which was when Upper 𓇓 and Lower Egypt 𓆀 were united into one kingdom. The β€œNarmer Palette” is the most famous depiction of this pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 as not much art has survived from so long ago. The name β€œMenes π“ π“ˆ–π“‡‹β€ means β€œHe Who Endures,” which is very fitting for Egypt’s π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š– 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 β€œGreat Pyramid 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴 of Giza.” This is the only aspect of Khufu’s 𓐍𓅱𓆑𓅱 reign π“‹Ύπ“ˆŽπ“ that has been documented – we actually don’t know much about him! Only one small π“ˆ–π“†“π“‹΄π“…© statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 of Khufu 𓐍𓅱𓆑𓅱 has been found to date, so it would be pretty cool if this was actually Khufu 𓐍𓅱𓆑𓅱! The name π“‚‹π“ˆ– Khufu 𓐍𓅱𓆑𓅱 means β€œHe 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 𓆒𓍋 or Khufu 𓐍𓅱𓆑𓅱? Β 

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

The Narmer Palette

The British Museum has a cast of the Narmer π“ π“ˆ–π“‡‹ Palette π“π“Šƒπ“π“†± that very much looks like the real thing! I remember being so confused seeing it in the display at first because I was like β€œisn’t this supposed to be in Cairo?!”

Narmer (or Menes) π“ π“ˆ–π“‡‹ is considered the first pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 of Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š– and founder of the First Dynasty because he won a battle in the Western Delta and fully united the two lands 𓇿𓇿 of Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š– as a single country. Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š– was considered to be two 𓏻 distinct places – Upper 𓇓 and Lower 𓆀 – before the unification. The denotations of Upper 𓇓 and Lower 𓆀 Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š– were still widely used though, and titles such as β€œKing of Upper and Lower Egypt π“†₯” and β€œLord of the Two Lands π“ŽŸπ“‡Ώπ“‡Ώβ€ that were used for thousands of years after Narmer π“ π“ˆ–π“‡‹ show how these ideas persisted. Narmer π“ π“ˆ–π“‡‹ is depicted here wearing the White Crown of Upper Egypt π“„€π“‹‘.

The original function of this palette is unclear, however, what is interesting is that it shows some early indications of hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ! Though this is up for interpretation, let’s take a look!

There are so many things happening on this palette π“π“Šƒπ“π“†± that it is impossible for me to explain it all so I chose some of my favorite things!

Above Narmer π“ π“ˆ–π“‡‹, you can see what seems to be his name (𓆒𓍋). Next to the small figure on the left, you can see the hieroglyph π“ŠΉπ“Œƒ of a daisy. The use of the daisy hieroglyph π“ŠΉπ“Œƒ stopped but some scholars think it may mean β€œHorus π“…ƒπ“€­.” Narmer is holding a 𓍛 symbol, which is part of the word for β€œservant 𓍛𓏀𓀀,” so this may indicate that the words mean β€œServant of Horus.”

A question that a lot of scholars who study early Egyptian palettes π“π“Šƒπ“π“†±π“¦ have to ask themselves is β€œwhere do the pictures end and the words begin?” – we will probably never know!