Khasekhemwy (2732—2705)

Cartouche of King Khasekhemwy

Khasekhemwy (2732—2705) was the fifth pharaoh of the 2nd Dynasty was likely responsible for the union of Upper and Lower Egypt. Not much is known nearly him, save the fact that he undertook big military campaigns. A statue of him which occupies in the Cairo Museum, demonstrates the first use of hard stone work during this stop. He is responsible for the building of a large granite door jamb inside the temple of Hierakonpolis, and for the construction of many of the mortuary complexes at both Saqqara and Abydos.

The most outstanding figure from the second dynasty and probably the whole Early Dynastic Time, was pharaoh Khasekhemwy. He really should have the title "Unifier of the two countries". Afterward winning the fight against the North that had went during the prevail of his predecessor. He chose Hierakonpolis in the far southern to be his capital and it was the first and last time the united Egypt was ruled from there. It took some effort to win the war and inscriptions from granite vessels discovered in his capital tells about his fights with the North, described as "rebels".

Being diplomatic he did not favour any of the main gods Horus and Set when the military fight was over. He simply put them both atop of his serek, thereby hoping to make peace and order to the country. He as well changed his name putting to it an additional -WY making it say - "The Two Powers Come Forward", instead of single one (Set) that he had before. In result he also put another commander's staff to his serek thereby making his different political view visible.

Statue of King Khasekhemwy

He as well made a campaign in to Nubia and adopted a new title: "overseer of the outside lands" that shows his involvement to keep contact abroad. His names has thus been discovered all the way up to Byblos in Syria. His tomb a little aside the others in Abydos is a remarkable construction unlike any of the earlier memorials there. The design is a somewhat (diplomatic?) mix between the north style mastaba-tombs and the traditional square constructions from the south. On top of all he placed it on "neutral" ground some 100 metres aside the old cemetery. He also held the tradition from most of the earlier kings by making an inclosure 1,8 kilometres towards the Nile from his tomb, probably for rituals of his mortal fad.

The size was far bigger then his predecessors: 69 m in length and 10-17 metre wide made of walls a good 2 m high. When it was dug in 1900 it still contained half a dozen applies such as chisels and woodcutting tools made of copper. In the middle was the grave chamber built in stone, the first of its kind. The ability to handle this material was shown for the first time in Egyptian history by the statues of Khasekhemwy that have survived from a find in Hierakonpolis. If they are portraits more such than gods images, the king seems to be a man with a discovered look in his face, and a firm mind, and this seems to have been the characteristics of the pharaoh. The most strikingly remain from him is the huge building he made at the capital Hierakonpolis. On the west side of the Nile a bit inside the desert lies the oldest known monumental building of sun-dried bricks in Egypt.

Sekemib (2743—2732)

Nothing is known about Sekemib. But he was a pharaoh of the second Dynasty. Some scholars suggest that Sekemib reigned towards the end of the dynasty while others references to "Wadjenes" place this ruler near the beginning of the dynasty.

Peribsen (2751—2743)

Observed by three kings, sendji, neterka, neferkara, before khasekhemwy, Peribsen was the fourth king of the Dynasty 2. He was really not the legitimate heir of Nintejer. In fact, many historians believe that the king was an outsider who instigated coup against King Nintejer. King Peribsen used the designation of seth in his titles. Unfortunately, nothing from Peribsen's era is well documented except for his mortuary complex near Abydos.
King Peribsen was a ruler who had his roots in the South, and was probably ruling from there throughout his time on the throne. Not a single trace of him is base in Lower Egypt with an elision of a writing with his name discovered in Sakkara and brought there in afterward times. He was the first pharaoh to write his name within a cartouche as seen in a preserved cylinder seal now in the Egyptian museum in Turin in Italy.

He made a remarkable change in royal custom by putting the god Set on top of his serek, (picture right) thereby disregarding the old south Horus falcon that from earliest times had been the symbol of pharaoh. This move was plain a political,/religious statement and he thereby took side in the current conflict between the supporters of these gods.

Vesse foundl in the tomb of Peribsen

Another King called Sekhemib-Perenmaat (see aabove) might have been a separate ruler, but most scholars take the view that this was the name of Peribsen before "conversion". "King Sekhemib" thus has no tomb in Abydos but the name has been got on labels in the domain inside and outside Peribsen's tomb. When he became king of Upper Egypt it might have been after civil war against Lower Egypt. His opponent might perchance have been king Sened and these two thus found each part of the Nile Valley. At some point Peribsen took over the whole country. We know this from inscriptions getting from his tomb in Abydos that tell about tribute, or conqueror?, concerning the town of Sethroë in the delta.