KHASEKHEM/KHASEKHEMWY OF EGYPT'S 2ND DYNASTY
by Jimmy Dun.
Khasekhemwy is perhaps the best attested ruler of the 2nd
Dynasty, a period that we know very little about in general.
Egyptologists have normally placed him as the successor of
Seth-Peribsen, though Manetho lists three kings between
them, consisting of Sethenes (Sendji), Chaires (Neterka) and
Nebhercheres (Neferkara). However, there is no
archaeological evidence for these kings and almost no other
information to verify their existence. However, some
Egyptologists believe he had another immediate predecessor
named Khasekhem, with an obviously similar name, though
other scholars believe Khasekhem and Khasekhemwy were in
fact the same person. They argue that Khasekhem changed his
name to Khasekhemwy after he squashed a rebellion, thus
reuniting Upper and Lower Egypt. His new Horus name means
"The Two Powerful Ones appear". Afterwards, the rendering of
his name on his serekh was surmounted by both the Horus
falcon and Seth jackel, marking it as unique in Egyptian
history.
Perhaps Khasekhemwy's use of both the Horus and Seth god's
representations in his name was an act of reconciliation. We
might even assume a politically inspired unification of the
country, were it not for evidence to the contrary. He in
fact is believed to have married a northern princess, but
apparently only to cement the control he gained through
battle. On a stone vase, we find recorded, "The year of
fighting the northern enemy within the city of Nekhet."
Nekhet, now known as el-Kab, lies on the eastern bank of the
Nile across from the ancient capital, Nekhen, known to the
Greeks as Hierakonpolis. Hence, this was a major and
dramatic battle between Upper and Lower Egyptians. On the
base of two seated statues of Khasekhemwy, we are told that
some 47,209 northerners were killed, a huge number
considering the relatively small population of Egypt during
the early dynastic period.
The Northern princess that Khasekhemwy married, a woman
named Nemathap (Nimaatapis), who jar sealings reveal as "The
King-bearing Mother". She probably mothered the earliest
rulers of Egypt's 3rd Dynasty including Djoser.
It is also important to note that the earliest inscriptional
evidence of an Egyptian king at the Lebanese site of Byblos
belonged to the reign of Khasekhemwy.
Khasekhemwy apparently undertook considerable building
projects upon the reunification of Egypt. He built in stone
at el-Kab, Hierakonpolis and Abydos. He apparently built a
unique, as well as huge tomb at Abydos, the last such royal
tomb built in that necropolis (Tomb V). The trapezoidal tomb
measures some 70 meters (230 ft) in length and is 17 meters
(56 ft) wide at its northern end, and 10 meters (33 ft) wide
at its southern end. This area was divided into 58 rooms.
Prior to some recent discoveries from the 1st Dynasty, its
central burial chamber was considered the oldest masonry
structure in the world, being built of quarried limestone.
Here, the excavators discovered the king's scepter of gold
and sard, as well as several beautifully made small stone
pots with gold leaf lid coverings, apparently missed by
earlier tomb robbers. In fact, Petrie detailed a number of
items removed during the excavations of Amelineau. Other
items included flint tools, as well as a variety of copper
tools and vessels, stone vessels and pottery vessels filled
with grain and fruit. There were also small, glazed objects,
carnelian beads, model tools, basketwork and a large
quantity of seals.
However, probably more impressive is a structure located in
the desert about 1,000 yards from the tomb. Known as the
Shunet el-Zebib (storehouse of the Dates), it was a huge
rectangular structure measuring 123 x 64 meters (404 x 210
ft). The mudbrick walls of the structure, with their
articulated palace facade, were as much as 5 meters (16 ft)
thick and as high as 20 meters (66 ft). Incredibly,
fragments of these mudbrick walls have survived for nearly
5,000 years. Some Egyptologists believe that the complex of
buildings within this enclosure may have functioned in a
capacity similar to a mortuary temple.
In fact, it had much in common with the enclosure of
Djoser's Step Pyramid at Saqqara. Besides the niched inner
walls of the parameter, a large mound of sand and gravel
covered with mud brick, approximately square in plan, was
discovered within the enclosure. Located in a similar
position within the enclosure as the Step Pyramid in
Djoser's complex, this mound may have been a forerunner of
the step pyramids. Regardless, Khasekhemwy's structures are
seen as an important evolutionary stage of the ancient
Egyptian mortuary complex. We believe that Khasekhemwy died
in about 2686 BC.
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Khasekhemwy (d. 2686 BC; sometimes spelled Khasekhemui) was
the fifth and final king of the Second dynasty of Egypt.
Little is known of Khasekhemwy, other than that he led several
significant military campaigns and built several monuments,
still extant, mentioning war against the Northerners. His name
means "The Two Powerful Ones Appear."[1]
Biography
Khasekhemwy is normally placed as the successor of Seth-Peribsen, though some
Egyptologists believe that another Pharaoh, Khasekhem, ruled between them. Most
scholars, however, believe Khasekhem and Khasekhemwy are, in fact, the same
person[2]. Khasekhem may have changed his name to Khasekhemwy after he reunited Upper
and Lower Egypt after a civil war between the followers of the gods Horus and Set.
Others believe he defeated the reigning king, Seth-Peribsen, after returning to Egypt
from putting down a revolt in Nubia. Either way he ended the infighting of the Second
dynasty and reunited Egypt.
Khasekhemwy is unique in Egyptian history as having both the symbols of Horus and Set
on his serekh. Some Egyptologists believe that this was an attempt to unify the two
factions; but after his death, Set was dropped from the serekh permanently. Secondly,
he was the earliest Egyptian king known to have built statues of himself.
Khasekhemwy apparently undertook considerable building projects upon the
reunification of Egypt. He built in stone at el-Kab, Hierakonpolis and Abydos. He
apparently built a unique, as well as huge, tomb at Abydos, the last such royal tomb
built in that necropolis (Tomb V). The trapezoidal tomb measures some 70 meters (230
ft) in length and is 17 meters (56 ft) wide at its northern end, and 10 meters (33
ft) wide at its southern end. This area was divided into 58 rooms. Prior to some
recent discoveries from the 1st Dynasty, its central burial chamber was considered
the oldest masonry structure in the world, being built of quarried limestone. Here,
the excavators discovered the king's scepter of gold and sard, as well as several
beautifully made small stone pots with gold leaf lid coverings, apparently missed by
earlier tomb robbers. In fact, Petrie detailed a number of items removed during the
excavations of Amélineau. Other items included flint tools, as well as a variety of
copper tools and vessels, stone vessels and pottery vessels filled with grain and
fruit. There were also small, glazed objects, carnelian beads, model tools,
basketwork and a large quantity of seals.
Khasekhemwy built a fort at Nekhen, and at Abydos (now known as Shunet ez Zebib) and
was buried there in the necropolis at Umm el-Qa'ab. According to Toby Wilkinson's
study of the Palermo Stone in Royal Annals of Ancient Egypt, this near contemporary
document assigns Khasekhemwy a reign of 17.5 or nearly 18 full years.
Family
Khasekhemwy's wife was Queen Nimaethap, mother of the King's Children. They were the
parents of Djoser and Djoser's wife Hetephernebti.[3] It's also possible that
Khasekhemwy's son was Sanakhte. - Wikipedia
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