|
|
|
Ancient Egyptians - Den |
Profile of King Den Profile of Den History Time Period: The Early Dynastic Period Dynasty: 1st DynastyPredecessors: Queen Merneith and King Djet Parents: Djet and MerneithDates of his Reign: Exact dates unknown - c. 2970 BC Principal Wife: Queen SematSuccessor: King Adjib King Den Ancient Egyptian King - Den Fact Sheet Fact 1 on Den: Name: "Semty Den" or "Dewen" meaning "Horus Who Attacks". This pharaoh of ancient Egypt was also known as Khasty, meaning "man of the desert" in reference to his military campaigns in the Sinai and Eastern Desert (see map below). Fact 2 on Den: Den was the first pharaoh to use the 'nesw-bit' name ('He of the Sedge and Bee') which was given to him at the time of his coronation and was the first title given to an ancient Egyptian ruler signifying he was the King of Upper and Lower Egypt. Fact 3 on Den: Den was also the first king to be depicted wearing the Pshent crown of Unified Egypt.
The Deshret, Red Crown of Lower Egypt
The Hedjet, White Crown of Upper Egypt
Pshent, Double Crown of Fact 4 on Den: Name: His family, who were the previous kings of of the first dynasty, came from Upper Egypt in the south of the country and had fought to gain power in Lower Egypt and unify the country. His name, and its connections to the desert areas that surrounded the whole of Egypt, would have been a constant reminder to all ancient Egyptians that his family was proven to subdue their enemies. Fact 5 on Den: History: Den ruled as the king of Egypt during the period in ancient Egyptian history known as the Early Dynastic Period and was a pharaoh of the 1st dynasty of kings by right of inheritance. He succeeded his father and then his mother to the throne of Egypt. Fact 6 on Den: Family: His father was Djet and his mother was Merneith. His father, King Djet, died at an early age in mysterious circumstances. He was only an infant when his father died and his mother assumed the role of either Queen Regent or reigned as a Queen-Pharaoh in her own right. Fact 7 on Den: Education: As a child he received a traditional education in the royal harem, a part of the palace at Memphis that was separate to the state rooms. During this period he would have been taught the basic elements of writing and introduced to the duties involved in the central government of the country. Fact 8 on Den: Education: His traditional education would have continued in the areas of learning that were attached to the main temples. Fact 9 on Den: The learning centers of the Ancient Egyptians were based in the temple complexes. Priests and scribes were the teachers and just one temple might contain up to 100,000 manuscripts. Fact 10 on Den: Like his grandfather King Djer, Den's name is linked with ancient medical 'wisdom' texts and 'magic spells' that were written for funerary manuals. Ancient Egyptian temples included a type of hospital where the priests practised magic and medicine. Medical wisdom records were kept in the temples of the god Heka, detailing knowledge of healing, diagnosis, medical procedures and remedies. This subject would have been included in his traditional education and would have given the young prince the required background to produce such works. Fact 11 on Den: Whether his mother, Merneith, ruled in her own right or as Queen-Regent it was clear that she was an intelligent and powerful woman who had kept control of the government, its officials and the upbringing of her son. She would have most certainly prepared her son on the duties and responsibilities of the king. Fact 12 on Den: Family: King Den married Semat whose status and title was the "Foremost of Women" and "She who sees Horus". Fact 13 on Den: Family: The known names of his other wives were Serethor, Nakht-Neith, Seshemetka and, possibly, Qaineit or Qua-Neith. It is known to have had many concubines in his harem. It was acceptable for the king of Egypt to practise Polygamy, meaning he had more than one wife at the same time. Having several wives or concubines in the Royal Harem enabled the pharaoh to maintain the 1st dynasty and ensure the line of succession of his family. Fact 14 on Den: Events during the reign of King Den are recorded in the numerous tablets on ebony and ivory tags and from inscriptions on the Palermo Stone. Fact 15 on Den: Den was a warrior king and led military campaigns and fought in the area of the eastern desert and the Sinai. Ancient Egyptian King - Den Fact Sheet
Pharaoh Den King Den Ancient Egyptian King - Den Fact Sheet Fact 16 on Den: The Asian inhabitants of the desert areas were nomadic tribes of Bedouins who occupied desert lands in Sinai, Canaan, Syria and Arabia. The ancient Egyptians depicted these Asian enemies with pointed beards and dark, often plaited, hair (see pictures below). Fact 17 on Den: The Bedouin tribes were great enemies of Egypt who they fought to keep control of the quarries and mines in the desert areas of the Sinai, Canaan, Syria and Arabia. The Eastern Desert, that bordered on the Red Sea, was inhabited by tribes of nomads called Troglodytes. Fact 18 on Den: King Den is recorded as quelling the Troglodytes on the Palermo Stone and on an ebony tablet from Den's tomb in Abydos. Fact 19 on Den: The ebony tablet depicts him striking a man of Asiatic origin and states that this was "the first occasion of smiting the East". This tablet depicts King Den holding a mace and in the other hand he is grabbing an enemy by his hair. Fact 20 on Den: It is believed that this successful campaign prompted King Den to use the name Khasty, meaning "man of the desert". Fact 21 on Den: During his military campaigns King Den overpowered an enemy encampment and brought a harem of captive women back to Egypt. Fact 22 on Den: The wife referred to as Qaineit or Qua-Neith: A stelae of the 1st Dynasty found at the king's funeral complex at Abydos woman mentions a woman called Qaineit as "provider of Horus, captive of (king) Semty, Qai-Neit". This text appears to indicate that she was either an important prisoner, perhaps allied to Den through a diplomatic marriage. Fact 23 on Den: He continued the work of establishing the central government of Egypt started by the first dynasty of kings and initiated a national census. The census counted gold and recorded details of the cattle count Fact 24 on Den: The reign of King Den was extremely prosperous. Egypt was becoming wealthy and powerful. Fact 25 on Den: King Den also created a new important position in the government. He appointed a courtier called Hemaka as "seal-bearer of the king of Lower Egypt", which effectively made Hemaka the High Chancellor and second in power only to the king. The High Chancellors of ancient Egypt are often referred to as Viziers. Fact 26 on Den: The appointment of Hemaka as High Chancellor is an indication that the government of the unified Egypt was becoming well established and that the pharaoh needed high ranking officials to assist him with running the country. Fact 27 on Den: The duties of the king included religious obligations. It was necessary for the well being of the country for the pharaoh to make daily offerings and prayers to the gods. His great-grandfather, King Hor-Aha had established the religious cult of the Apis bull at Memphis, and King Den is listed as celebrating rituals in honor of Apis participating in the 1st race of the Apis-Bull. The Palermo Stone also details King Den celebrating rituals in honor of the gods Atum, Ptah, Seshat and Mafdet. Fact 28 on Den: Children: He is believed to have fathered numerous sons and daughters by his many wives and consorts. His sons Adjib and Semerkhet would both become kings of the first dynasty. Fact 29 on Den: During his reign King Den is recorded as smiting the Setjet people, the Tjesem people, the Luntju people. Setjet was the term used for Asia, meaning the "East" or Northern Lands". The Tjesem and the Luntju were described as Nomadic peoples. Fact 30 on Den: He initiated the first celebration of the Hebsed festival and the Djet festival and participated in the 'Stretching the cords' ceremonies which were important rituals undertaken when new construction projects were undertaken such as the building of new temples and royal palaces. Fact 31 on Den: Den's tomb at Abydos contained vast burial chambers and was part of a large burial complex. The tomb itself is the earliest example of stone built architecture found in ancient Egypt. Prior to this they were built of mud-brick. Fact 32 on Den: There were also protective architectural elements in the design of the tomb to deter tomb robbers such as a stairway and portcullis that was placed in front of the burial chamber. The floor of the tomb was paved in red and black granite rock. The tomb of his father, King Djet, had been looted and burnt and this must have been in the king's mind when his tomb was designed. Fact 33 on Den: There are 174 satellite burials on the burial site of King Den. All of the kings of 1st Dynasty were associated with Human Sacrificeand chose members of their royal household to be buried with them. The practise of human sacrifice ceased abruptly at the end of the 1st dynasty when 'shabtis' took the place of actual people. Fact 34 on Den: His son, Adjib, by Queen Semat, succeeded King Den as the next ruler of ancient Egypt. Ancient Egyptian King - Den Fact Sheet Den Den | ||||
