DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4222#0014
ROYAL TOMBS OF THE 1st DYNASTY.
and I have shown how the early form of the
second name of Qa—Sen—was mistaken for
Qebh (vol. i. 23), and so stated in the list of
Sefcy.
It is evident then that five or six of the eight
kings named in the 1st Dynasty are identified
here in the right order of the tombs. Hence it
is to the group of tombs marked B that we
must look for Mena and his predecessors; and it
is in this group that abundant objects of King
Aha are found. Hence Aha must be within a
reign or two of Mena. Looking at the searings,
it is clear that the seals of Aha are more like
those of Zer than are any of the other earliest
sealings. Hence Aha would come to be identi-
fied with Mena, entirely apart from the evidence
of the ivory tablet from Naqada, on which that
identification has hitherto rested.
Here a question arises, How is it that objects
of Aha should be so abundant at Abydos when
his tomb has been already found at Naqada ?
Where was his tomb ? at Naqada or Abydos ?
Now at Naqada were found many ivory labels
of necklaces, mentioning the number of stones,
and with the name Neit-hotep on the back.
These probably belonged to a queen of Mena.
And if we must fix on one tomb as that of Aha,
and one as that of a connection of his, it would
be the Abydos tomb which would be that of
Aha, where several ebony tablets record offer-
ings to him ; and it would be the tomb with
Neit-hotep's necklaces which would be that of a
queen. Also it is far more likely that a tomb
in the great series of royal tombs should be that
of the king, and that a tomb apart in another
cemetery should be for a queen of his,
Hence it seems that the facts as now known
would show that Aha—Mena was buried in the
royal series at Abydos; and that the tomb at
Naqada was that of his queen Neit-hotep,
naturally buried with vases and objects belong-
ing to the king. Further, it seems not im-
probable that one of the sealings there found is
to be read " the spirit of Neit-hotep," ba Neit-
hotep (see De Morgan, Becherches ii., fig. 559),
and was the queen's own seal.
We may now consider this group of B tombs
more in detail. We know of this age several
kings whose works are ruder than those of
Mena, and who therefore must be presumed to
have preceded him in that rapidly rising civili-
zation. But unhappily the contents of these
B tombs have been so ruthlessly confused and
destroyed by recent digging that the chance of
recovering their history has been almost lost.
The list of named objects associated with certain
Ka, pottery
B 7, 11, 15
Narmer, jar
6.
,, sealing .
17, 18.
„ tablet .
18.
Sma, about
15—19.
Aha, vase
17.
,, tablet
18.
,, tablet
19.
,, gold strip .
15.
,, Bener-ab objects
14.
„ sealings
16.
There is also King Zeser (Royal Tombs i. iv.
3), whose simple title of nebui connects him
with King Sma and the vases of Zer (pi. v: 13,
14), and who therefore must be placed also
among the pre-Menites.
The position of King Sma is indicated in
another way. Several toilet objects with the
name of Neit-hotep were found in the graves of
female domestics around Zer, but none of the
seventy gravestones bear this name. It seems
then probable that these were disused toilet
objects of Neit-hotep, the queen of Mena, such
objects having been passed over to her hand-
maidens, who died in the next reign—that of
Zer—and had the things buried with them.
Now on one of these objects of Neit-hotep
(pi. ii. 11) there is apparently nebui Sma, and
as Sma cannot have been the husband or son of
Neit-hotep, he was probably her father. Hence
and I have shown how the early form of the
second name of Qa—Sen—was mistaken for
Qebh (vol. i. 23), and so stated in the list of
Sefcy.
It is evident then that five or six of the eight
kings named in the 1st Dynasty are identified
here in the right order of the tombs. Hence it
is to the group of tombs marked B that we
must look for Mena and his predecessors; and it
is in this group that abundant objects of King
Aha are found. Hence Aha must be within a
reign or two of Mena. Looking at the searings,
it is clear that the seals of Aha are more like
those of Zer than are any of the other earliest
sealings. Hence Aha would come to be identi-
fied with Mena, entirely apart from the evidence
of the ivory tablet from Naqada, on which that
identification has hitherto rested.
Here a question arises, How is it that objects
of Aha should be so abundant at Abydos when
his tomb has been already found at Naqada ?
Where was his tomb ? at Naqada or Abydos ?
Now at Naqada were found many ivory labels
of necklaces, mentioning the number of stones,
and with the name Neit-hotep on the back.
These probably belonged to a queen of Mena.
And if we must fix on one tomb as that of Aha,
and one as that of a connection of his, it would
be the Abydos tomb which would be that of
Aha, where several ebony tablets record offer-
ings to him ; and it would be the tomb with
Neit-hotep's necklaces which would be that of a
queen. Also it is far more likely that a tomb
in the great series of royal tombs should be that
of the king, and that a tomb apart in another
cemetery should be for a queen of his,
Hence it seems that the facts as now known
would show that Aha—Mena was buried in the
royal series at Abydos; and that the tomb at
Naqada was that of his queen Neit-hotep,
naturally buried with vases and objects belong-
ing to the king. Further, it seems not im-
probable that one of the sealings there found is
to be read " the spirit of Neit-hotep," ba Neit-
hotep (see De Morgan, Becherches ii., fig. 559),
and was the queen's own seal.
We may now consider this group of B tombs
more in detail. We know of this age several
kings whose works are ruder than those of
Mena, and who therefore must be presumed to
have preceded him in that rapidly rising civili-
zation. But unhappily the contents of these
B tombs have been so ruthlessly confused and
destroyed by recent digging that the chance of
recovering their history has been almost lost.
The list of named objects associated with certain
Ka, pottery
B 7, 11, 15
Narmer, jar
6.
,, sealing .
17, 18.
„ tablet .
18.
Sma, about
15—19.
Aha, vase
17.
,, tablet
18.
,, tablet
19.
,, gold strip .
15.
,, Bener-ab objects
14.
„ sealings
16.
There is also King Zeser (Royal Tombs i. iv.
3), whose simple title of nebui connects him
with King Sma and the vases of Zer (pi. v: 13,
14), and who therefore must be placed also
among the pre-Menites.
The position of King Sma is indicated in
another way. Several toilet objects with the
name of Neit-hotep were found in the graves of
female domestics around Zer, but none of the
seventy gravestones bear this name. It seems
then probable that these were disused toilet
objects of Neit-hotep, the queen of Mena, such
objects having been passed over to her hand-
maidens, who died in the next reign—that of
Zer—and had the things buried with them.
Now on one of these objects of Neit-hotep
(pi. ii. 11) there is apparently nebui Sma, and
as Sma cannot have been the husband or son of
Neit-hotep, he was probably her father. Hence