10 Facts About Semerkhet

Semerkhet is the Horus name of an early Egyptian king who ruled during the First Dynasty.

The archaeological records seem to support the view that Semerkhet had a difficult time as king and some early archaeologists questioned the legitimacy of Semerkhet's succession to the Egyptian throne.

Semerkhet's name appears in inscriptions on vessels made of schist, alabaster, breccia, and marble.

Semerkhet's name is preserved on ivory tags and earthen jar seals.

Scribes and priests of the Ramesside era were confused, because the archaic ideogram that was used during Semerkhet's lifetime was very similar to the sign of an old man with a walking stick.

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Semerkhet's parents are unknown, but it is thought that one of his predecessors, king Den, might have been his father.

An old theory, supported by Egyptologists and historians such as Jean-Philippe Lauer, Walter Bryan Emery, Wolfgang Helck, and Michael Rice once held that Semerkhet was a usurper and not the rightful heir to the throne.

Semerkhet simply erased Adjib's name and replaced it with his own.

Semerkhet found a ramp, four metres wide and leading straight into the main chamber.

Scholars now think that Semerkhet's tomb was re-opened and restored when Ramesside priests and kings saw the tomb of king Djer as the ritual burial of Osiris's head.