17 Facts About Narmer

Narmer was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh of the Early Dynastic Period.

Narmer's identity is the subject of ongoing debates, although the dominant opinion among Egyptologists identifies Narmer with the pharaoh Menes, who is renowned in the ancient Egyptian written records as the first king, and the unifier of Ancient Egypt.

Rather than incorporating both hieroglyphs, Narmer's name is often shown in an abbreviated form with just the catfish symbol, sometimes stylized, even, in some cases, represented by just a horizontal line.

Narmer is often credited with the unification of Egypt by means of the conquest of Lower Egypt by Upper Egypt.

Issue is confusing because "Narmer" is a Horus name while "Menes" is a Sedge and Bee name.

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However, based on an analysis of other early First Dynasty seal impressions, which contain the name of one or more princes, the seal impression has been interpreted by other scholars as showing the name of a prince of Narmer named Menes, hence Menes was Narmer's successor, Hor-Aha, and thus Hor-Aha was Menes.

Since its discovery it has been debated whether the Narmer Palette represents an actual historic event or is purely symbolic.

The archaeological evidence suggest that the unification began before Narmer, but was completed by him through the conquest of a polity in the North-West Delta as depicted on the Narmer Palette.

The importance of the unification to ancient Egyptians is shown by the fact that Narmer is shown as the first king on the two necropolis seals, and under the name Menes, the first king in the later King Lists.

Narmer probably did not establish Egypt's initial influence in Canaan by a military invasion, but a military campaign by Narmer to re-assert Egyptian authority, or to increase its sphere of influence in the region, is certainly plausible.

Narmer's tomb is located next to the tombs of Ka, who likely ruled Upper Egypt just before Narmer, and Hor-Aha, who was his immediate successor.

Narmer is well attested throughout Egypt, southern Canaan and Sinai: altogether 98 inscriptions at 26 sites.

At Abydos and Hierakonpolis Narmer's name appears both within a serekh and without reference to a serekh.

Narmer is then preceded by two men with standards, and accompanied by a dog.

However, Hendricks places the scene slightly before Narmer, based, in part on the uncharacteristic absence of Narmer's royal name in the inscription.

Narmer wearing the Deshret crown of Lower Egypt on the Narmer Palette.

Alabaster statue of a baboon divinity with the name of Narmer inscribed on its base, on display at the Agyptisches Museum Berlin.