Ancient Egyptians - Merneith
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The Queens of Ancient Egypt

Overview of the life and times of Queen Merneith
Queen Merneith was a prominent royal woman who lived during the 1st Dynasty of the period in ancient Egyptian history referred to as the Early Dynastic Period. The time in which she lived marked huge changes in the cultural, religious and political evolution of ancient Egypt. This was the time when hieroglyphic writing was developed and small villages and joined larger communities and cities. The religious cults of gods such as Horus, Set and Neith became widespread in Egypt as did the practice of Human Sacrifice. Merneith was a queen-consort and a regent of Ancient Egypt and she may also have been the first Egyptian queen who ruled in her own right. For additional facts about the royal women refer to Ancient Egyptian Queens.

Queens of Egypt: Picture of an Egyptian Queen in the Harem

Merneith
Learn about this ancient Queen of Egypt the fast and easy way via the Merneith Fact sheet.

Ancient Egyptian Queen - Merneith Fact Sheet

Fact 1 on Merneith: Her name means 'Beloved by Neith'. Neith was an important deity in the Early Dynastic Period and revered as a warrior and funerary goddess and the patron of weaving, in particular the linen used for mummy bandages.

Fact 2 on Merneith: Merneith was associated with the most important male rulers of her time. She is believed the daughter of King Djer, who followed King Narmer (also refer to Menes) as one of the kings of the 1st dynasty.

Fact 3 on Merneith: She was the sister and the wife of King Djet, another king in the dynasty. Incest was an acceptable practise amongst the kings of Egypt, in order to retain the sacred and divine bloodline. Incest was not practised by non-royal ancient Egyptians.

Fact 4 on Merneith: Her title as queen-consort to King Djet was "Foremost of Women". Their marriage produced the heir to the throne who was called Den. This relationship is confirmed in a clay seal found in the tomb of King Den that was engraved with "King's Mother".

Fact 5 on Merneith: Her husband, King Djet, died at an early age and their son, Den, was too young to rule. There is no evidence to clarify whether the queen ruled as regent or whether she actually ruled in her own right.

Fact 6 on Merneith: Whether her title was regent or queen-pharaoh she ruled Egypt until her son came of age and carried out the religious and political duties associated with the role.

Fact 7 on Merneith: Her name is also found engraved in a serekh on a seal from Saqqara. The serekh was the earliest convention used to set apart a royal name in ancient Egyptian iconography, before the cartouche was used.

Fact 8 on Merneith: She was buried in Abydos and her tomb is located close to that of her husband Djet and her son Den with other exclusively male tombs.

Fact 9 on Merneith: During her era human sacrifice was practised as part of the royal funerary rituals to ensure the Pharaohshad servants in the Afterlife. Bodies found from this era show marks of the throat having been cut before the victims were decapitated. It is believed that 41 subsidiary graves contained the bodies of those who died to accompany the queen in the Afterlife

Fact 10 on Merneith: All of the kings of 1st Dynasty chose members of their royal household to be buried with them, some of which included high ranking officials.

Fact 11 on Merneith: It therefore seems logical to conclude that some of the tomb builders and artists also died as part of the queen's mortuary ceremonies.

Ancient Egyptian Queen - Merneith Fact Sheet

Facts about Merneith
Discover fast, interesting fun facts about Merneith for kids with some amazing, cool and quick information about ancient Egypt and Egyptians. Ideal for children, homework, schools, teachers and kids of all ages! Find fascinating fun facts about Merneith for kids and the history, culture and civilisation of the ancient Egyptians and ancient Egypt. Interesting, fun facts about Merneith for research, schools, students and kids of all ages.

Narmer
Learning about the ancient Egyptians and King Narmer inspires everyone to visit historical sites and undertake Egypt Travel and Tours to experience the wonders of this magical land at first hand. Many people choose to experience a tour of Egypt on a Nile Cruise stopping at the famous destinations and sites of Egypt such as the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx. The information and facts about Pharaoh Narmer will provide you with a great insight into Egypt and the legacy of the ancient Egyptians.

Narmer