Djet (Wadj) (2970—2963)

Djet or Wadj, the third king of the 1st Egyptian Dynasty. His stela is exposed at the Louvre in Paris. It is made of limestone sliced by the sculptor Serekh. The stele was discovered almost the ancient city of Abydos where Wadj's mortuary complex is located. The only other place that Egyptologists found a quotation to him was in an inscription near the city of Edfu, to the south of Egypt. His wife was Queen Mereneith, who acted as mentor and advisor for his successor, King Den. King Djet have variants of his name alike Uadji and Zet, but Wadjet is probably the correct form. His Horus-name was written by a snake. Manetho gives a king called Kenkenes 31 years and one called Uenepes 23, and likely one of them is Djet, the latter one being the most future.

King Djet's Burial position:

His tomb in Abydos had a new feature - little rooms close the grave chamber within the building itself, a feature similar to mastabas. From the same site he has left a masterpiece of Egyptian art from all times - a magnificent over two metre high stone stele found outside the tomb, now in the Louvre in Paris. It was from the beginning erected at the spot marking the position where visitors cold give protection to the remembering of the dead pharaoh. The tomb itself had probably no visible part above ground in contrast to his rite area by the Nile, with its high walls. A year-label came to light, establishing the king's name and symbols doing Upper and Lower Egypt - the vulture and the red royal crown. Other memorials from Djet's reign are a couple of large mastabas at Tarkhan but most of all a fantastic large mastaba (nr 3504) from the capital's necropolis at Sakkara. It measures 20 by 50 metres and was located by English archaeologist Emery in 1953-56. It had over four hundred bulls' heads sculptured with good horns all placed in straight rows around the walls, and beside it stood of over 60 side burials for retainers. The grave chamber was plundered briefly after the burial by robbers tunneling in from the side and setting fire to the wooden roof and lining. A carefully restoration took position probably in the rule of king Qaa at the end of the dynasty, when new offer and goods were put in.

Mernieth

Tomb stela of Merneith,
in the Umm el-Qa'ab.

When Flinders Petrie, English archaeologist,  re-excavated the tombs at the old burial ground of Abydos during 1901 he accidentally found an unfamiliar tomb whose owner bore the name Mer-Neith.  The monument itself was a traditional building under ground with side chambers within like the mastaba tombs accompanied with side burials of retainers outside.

At first he thought that he had found an unknown king, but soon new fact came to light telling the unexpected truth that Mer-Neith was a woman.

It became clear that she was the widow and queen of king Djet and held office during the puerility and youth of their son, the next ruler to be - king Den whose name appeared in the grave. A proof of her position in the sequence of leaders was later found on a seal impression from the tomb of her son, where her name was put along with the ruling kings but without the king's insignia - the Horus falcon. In other lists from later times however, the Egyptians did not mention her, only her son. Above all, her name was found on a fine stele made of stone that credibly have had the same function as the one found from her husband - to mark the place of offering for the veneration of her immortal individual. For later commemoration she also had a ritual area in Abydos, beside the ones from five other regents. Her name contains the old patroness and war goddess from Lower Egypt - Neith and means: "beloved by Neith", whose regalia, (shield and arrows), are present on small labels from this time as well as her big stela. That the queen thus was a native of the Delta is a plausible guess, thereby making a sort of matrimonial alliance between the northern and the South, but this is so far not confirmed. Few remains attested to her of found outside Abydos probably due to the fact that all official sign, marks of property etc were made in the name of her little son. An exception is a great mastaba (Nr 3503, 16x42 m) in Sakkara where her name has been found as inscriptions on stone vessels, jars and seal impressions.

King Mernieth's Burial place:

His tomb in saqqara (3507) and abydos (tomb y) support her rule. Primitively missed, but found by Petrie. The central chamber is included with 8 storerooms whwere certain jars were found. The burial chamber contains the stela of Merytneith. 41 alternative graves. Tomb Y, Umm el Ga’ab.

Djer (Itit) (3016—2970)

Cartouche of Djer

Djer was the second pharaoh during the 1st Dynasty, when the crown still resided at Memphis. He was the son of Aha and one of his lesser placed wives, a woman named Hent. Djer established a palace at Memphis where he ruled Egypt from for fifty years. He also launched a successful military effort to fight the Hekssus in Sinai. His name was found in an inscription on the Wadi Halfa, south of the first Cataract, proving the boundaries of his reign. Djer's wife was Queen Herneith. He was sunk in a mortuary complex which is named the True Essential of the god Osiris.

His tomb, at abydos, (tomb o) holds 300 alternative burials, just weest of Aha; made of brick 70 x 40 meters. In the Umm el- Ga’ab section tomb believed to hold Osiris and focus of pilgrimages. Later mistaken for the tomb of Osiris. Discovered by Emile Amelineau in 1895 with a 5 year contract for mining.

King Djer's Burial position:

He was a low archeaologist – probably he got the contract because he was friends with the manager of the Egyptian Antiquities Service in Cairo – and discovered the “Tomb of Osiris” in "Umm el Ga’ab", an area simply prosperous with artifacts. He completely cleared the tomb between January 1 and January 12th, discarding whole piles of artifacts and retaining only complete objects. Most things were simply ignored if the felt them of no value.l. He found a basalt statue on a bier (similar to the funerary couch of Tut) in the tomb, and a skull in one chamber.  He decided (quite arbitrarily, based on the stiarcase) that this was athe tomb of Osiris himself, and the skull was that of the god – or, in his view, a true historical figure. The skull was later identified as that of a woman,b ut this did not change Emile’s view.