Sened (2772—Unknwon)

Cartouche of King Sened

When pharaoh Sened was in power Egypt was likely divided once again into its southern and northern parts, with him as the king in North (Lower) Egypt from the capital Memphis.  There are no contemporary remains of him, not even the smallest writing is got so far. A possible exception is a block of stone with his name on it, that was discovered and reused as building material in the mortuary temple of fourth dynasty king Khafre (Khefren) at Giza. This piece might just be of second dynasty origin and thus contemporary to Sened.

Another remain with his name is from a private fourth dynasty tomb in Sakkara where a man named Shery has a title that tells that he is connected with the cult commemorating king Sened. This is 2 hundred years afterwards his death. The text also mentions king Peribsen who plausibly was Sened's vis-a-vis in the south part of the country at the same time. All other material sources science have about him are made in later times and one remarkable object in a statuette from 2000 years after his death made in the 800s BC.

Though considered to be very light by today's Egyptologists since he have left no remains of substance anywhere in Egypt, he obviously had a strong place in the heads of later Egyptian generations. The reason for this is so far secret to science. Another fact indicating in the same direction is that he was put in to the king-lists among the more famous colleagues of his. His name thus appears in the Abydos list (picture above right) and in the canon from a close tomb in Sakkara where he is depicted simply by a plucked goose (picture left). He is observed in the Canon of Turin as well, also there as a plucked goose.

Ninetjer (2815—2778)

Cartouche of King Nynetjer

King Ninetjer was the third king of the 2nd Dynasty, and took Memphis as his capitol. He ruled ancient Egypt for about 40 years and he was known for his festivals and some temples. Historican Manetho gives Ninetjer a prevail of 47 years and calles him in a Greek way - Binothris. The change to a b-sound was made in later times when an additional sign (a ram) with that value was put to the king's name. Writings from his own time only content the flag and the weavy line (serek in picture right). From Eygptian canyons his name therefor is to be read: Baneteren, Baneteru and Neteren (cartouche from Abydos list in picture left).

He is the best known of all kings from this early part of the second dynasty. Sealings with his name has been base in various places in Lower Egypt and most of all in Sakkara where one "nobility class" mastaba at the north escarp contained half a dozen. It probably belonged to one of his high officials. His name has also been discovered in big a mastaba from Giza, but just at one occasion in Upper Egypt - at Abydos. It was got on stone vessels from the tomb of the later king Peribsen who possibly had brought them down south from the Memphis field. Apart from all stone vessels his name only seems twice on other cases of objects: a small ivory label and a famous statuette of stone.

This fine cut little piece measurement 13,5 cm in height and 8,8 x 4,8 centimetres at the base, is made of a hard alabaster-like pit with a sheen towards greenish-yellow. It indicates the king sitting on his throne wearing the white crown of Upper Egypt and at his bureau he's holding the crook and the flail. He is dressed in a tight fitting robe and this apparel is usually connected with the Sed-festival that took place every 20th year. He looks like a man in his older days. At both sides of the base his name is written by hieroglyphs not framed by a serek as established in upper left corner of the picture.

Most of the noesis about his deeds comes from the Palermo stone where his call is written above the boxes with the annual effects. These entries are from his 6th to his 20th year on the throne. Writing on rock vessels from Sakkara advise that his rule was at least 35 years long since a notation says that the biennial census had just been executed for the 17th time.

The notations about different celebrations are all exclude one referring to events from Lower Egypt. There are books of political events too, because in his 13th year in office he ordered his military forces to attack two unknown towns (Sm-r and Há). The name Há can also be read "northern land" suggesting a rebellion from some places in the delta, or disorder at the northern frontier.

Ninetjer's tomb has been base in Sakkara just south of Djoser's pyramid complex and about 150 thousand beside the tomb drifts of the give of the dynasty Hotepsekhemwy. Comparing the both structures gives at hand that Ninetjer's is well smaller and more irregular with corridors and rooms cut out almost haphazardly, maybe because bad excellent in the bedrock in some parts. The galleries from older pharaoh are, as they are depicted from sketches made in the beginning of the 1900s, almost too symmetrical and probably not entirely correct. One thing do the tombs have in common: incomplete corridors. Possibly did the work go on as long as the pharaoh lived start with the serious parts, and then finally ceased when he died.

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.