Weneg (2778—2772)

Cartouche of Weneg

After Ninetjer something passed to the Egyptian society that made many centralised functions collapse or disdain. During this period of unrest a few names pop up on scanty fragments and among them a king called Weneg. He was likely the pharaoh preceding Ninetjer at least in Lower Egypt, because a partitioning of the country for a short period cant be taken out.

His Horus-name (in a serek) is not known, but remaining form are base in a dozen inscriptions, most of them from Saqqara. Though his reign probably was a very short one (perhaps not more such then a couple of years) his name is recorded in later king lists wish from the temple in Abydos and the Sakkara list. This points that despite the miss of earthly remains he plausibly had a position in the legends for later contemporaries, when they were commemorating the pharaohs from the passed.

The scribes at that time misinterpreted his flower-sign (to be read: WNG) and replaced it with a papyrus plant making the sound: Wadj-nes, purposeful "fresh of tongue". This was transformed into Greek language (ougot-las) by Manetho, who gave the king the figure Tlas. In other words - a subversion on more than one occasion during the flow of time.

Because he had a very short rule we can hardly have that his tomb is a mass of black galleries like some of his predecessors. If he hasn't taken over an older structure and made it his own we can look for a monument of more modest size, maybe a mastaba of means.

The domain where to look for his tomb is probably about the other galleries east of the pyramid of Pharaoh Sekhemhkhet. This repository lies where the topography is unsuitable. A good think might be that the field to the east was assumed by superstructures (mastaba-like?) from dynasty 2 tombs, and that these were far in later times. The feet should then still be detectable, but this place has not been properly investigated. There are candidates to be his grave and in one mastaba (S3014) has even Weneg's name been base.

Reneb (Unknown-2815)

Cartouche of Reneb

Worshiped mendes, and apis copper at memphis, but primarily re. Reneb or Nebra was the second king in the Dynasty 2. Reneb held Egypt after a coup to reverse his brother. His royal seals were discovered at Saqqara and near Hermopolis. Nothing some is known from archaeological stays of pharaoh Nebre who is another rather shadowy strong from the second dynasty. There is also a dispute about his call because he used to be called Nebre meaning: "Re is (my) lord". In the later years of the 1900s however scholars begun to favour the opposite order Nebre meaning: "Lord of the son". Which of the reading that is right is difficult to tell, but unimportant for his identification.

In the "Metropolitan Museum" in New York is a fine stela established of granite, and it is the most large remain of him. Though got in the town of Mit Rahina in the flood plain (the place of the old capital Memphis), the stela would have stood outside his tomb that obviously is to bee discovered in the Sakkara field. A possible structure that can bee the place of his last rest are the very large galleries under the funeral complex of king Djoser. Another theory that has been put forward, is that he took over this big resistance construction from his forerunner, and made it his own. In this case the galleries earlier had to belong to someone else, who is up to now unknown to Egyptology. By integration the sun and its god Re in his own name, Nebre started a tradition that should last for over 2000 years. An inscription on a black stone vessel gives the correct set for the first two kings of the dynasty. Their sereks are put beside every other led with the Horus falcon wearing the double crown and confronting a goddess. Second in line after the founder of the dynasty is king Nebre.

Hetepsekhemwy (2857-unknown)

Cartouche of Hotepsekhemwy

Hetepsekhemwy was the first pharaoh of the 2nd Dynasty. His name is a reference to the gods Horus and Seth (The Two Mighty Ones at Rest). The king ruled Ancient Egypt for more than 35 years. During his epoch, an earthquake hit the vicinity of Bubastis in the Nile Delta. Some historians say that his brother started a military coup and threw him out of power. Pharaoh Hotepsekhemwy came to power in an unknown way and it is possible that he reached office by union to a princess. Thus we don't know if he was concerned to the old Thinite line of rulers or not. He is not thought to be the son of king Qáa, but possibly his son in law. Anyhow he made offerings and possibly took care of the old king's funeral, because sealings with his name have recently (1993) been found outside Qáa's tomb at Abydos. His name implies "the two powers are at ease" meaning that the struggle between the Horus and Set fractions in society was at peace. But this was barely more than a hope from his side, because this conflict should be a burden for generations and nearly tore Egypt apart.

He made a variety in picking his place burial by give the established Abydos cemetery and choose a position at the burial ground of the capital - Saqqara. This was made as a political move, maybe as a gesture of conciliation in the internal political struggle. Not only did he change place of burial - he made a totally new type of tomb with a new new design for his last resting place. It was a huge complex of underground galleries hewn out in the bedrock, a gigantic work of a type that never had been done in Egypt or anyplace else on Earth before. So this was a total change and break through in the technique of stone cutting and a milestone in human progress. It was got merely by accident in 1902 a bit south of the Djoser complex by the Italian archaeologist Barsanti. In the almost empty tomb numerous seals with the king's name could be saved, and thereby placing the owner. The monument seems to be in an incomplete stadium though the grave chamber and side room were completed.  Around 20 minor rooms around the king's bedroom might have been made for his staff of servants. Previous ground zero is left of a superstructure (if there ever existed one) and later constructions have been built upon it perhaps unaware of its existence.

Burial place of Hetepsekhemwy:

Entrance to the tomb of Hetepsekhemwy

The subterranean structure thought to be the latest 2nd Dynasty royal tomb at Sakkara is based at what is now named the Unas cemetery. Part of its galleries are close located underneath the Unas Pyramid and it is amazing that 5th Dynasty tomb-builders did not accidentaly stumble upon it. Seal impressions found inside the social system and showing the Horus names of Hotepsekhemwi and his heir Reneb can good one of two things:

Either the tomb was built for and used by Hotepsekhemwi and Reneb left his varnish impressions when he buried his forerunner, and brought the required funerary offerings