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Ancient Egyptians - Qa'a |
Profile of King Qa'a Profile of Qa'a History Time Period: The Early Dynastic Period Dynasty: 1st DynastyPredecessor: Semerkhet Parents: Father was Semerkhet, mother unknownDates of his Reign: Exact dates unknown ca. 2916 BC Principal Wife: UnknownSuccessor: Hotepsekhemwy of the 2nd Dynasty King Qa'a
Ancient Egyptian King - Qa'a Fact Sheet Fact 1 on Qa'a: Name: This pharaoh of ancient Egypt was also known as Qa’a hedjet Bieneches or Sneferka. His name means "His Arm Is Raised". His Nebty was Sen-Nebti meaning "Brother of the Two Ladies". Fact 2 on Qa'a: History: He ruled as the king of Egypt by right of inheritance during the period in ancient Egyptian history known as the Early Dynastic Period. He was a pharaoh of the 1st dynasty of kings, whose family originated in from Thinis in Upper Egypt. He succeeded King Semerkhet to the throne of Egypt. Fact 3 on Qa'a: The unified Egypt created by King Narmer (also refer to Menes), the founder of the 1st Dynasty, had begun to break down with the rule of Anedjib. Fact 4 on Qa'a: "Brother of the Two Ladies": Following the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt Wadjet, the cobra goddess and protector of Lower Egypt, was paired with Nekhbet, the white vulture goddess and the protector of Upper Egypt. Together, Wadjet and Nekhbet were referred to as the "Two Ladies". Fact 5 on Qa'a: The above picture of the 'eye' depicts Nekhbet, the white vulture goddess wearing the white crown of Upper Egypt and Wadjet, the cobra goddess wearing the red crown of Lower Egypt.
The Deshret, Red Crown of Lower Egypt
The Hedjet, White Crown of Upper Egypt
Pshent, Double Crown of Fact 6 on Qa'a: The 'Two Ladies' name was a device to legitimize Qa'a's rule as king the "Two Lands", necessary because of the constant rebellions in the north of the country (Lower Egypt) disputing his claim to the throne of the unified Egypt. Fact 7 on Qa'a: Family: His father was Semerkhet but the name of his mother is unknown. The names of any wives have also been lost in the annals of time and he was not followed by a legitimate heir. Fact 8 on Qa'a: The reigns of the previous kings had been beset with unspecified 'calamities' but the reign of Qa'a makes no reference to any such disasters and he apparently enjoyed a long and prosperous reign, most of his power being in the southern regions of Upper Egypt. Most Egyptologists agree on a reign of 33 years. continued... Ancient Egyptian King - Qa'a Fact Sheet Pharaoh Qa'a King Qa'a Ancient Egyptian King - Qa'a Fact Sheet Fact 9 on Qa'a: There is scant information about his reign but he is recorded in the king lists of Saqqara, Abydos, and Turin. Fact 10 on Qa'a: The names of two high ranking officials who assisted Qa'a with the government of Egypt, one probably being the High Chancellor, were Merka and Sabef. The tomb of Merka contained a stele with many titles so he was probably held the position of High Chancellor and second in power only to the king. Fact 11 on Qa'a: The tomb of King Djet, one of the ancestors of Qa'a, had been was looted shortly after his burial, and the wooden roof and lining of the rooms had been set on fire. The king initiated the restoration of the tomb and ensured that offering goods were once again placed in the burial chamber. Perhaps by the act he was emphasizing his heritage and emphasizing the importance of his family's dynasty in an attempt to halt the break down of the unification of Egypt and avert civil war. Fact 12 on Qa'a: The tomb of the Pharaoh was located in Abydos, the ancestral burial place of the kings of Egypt. The tomb was quite large and 26 subsidiary graves surround his tomb. Fact 13 on Qa'a: The 26 subsidiary graves contained the bodies of his servants who had died as a result of Human Sacrificeas part of the royal funerary rituals. Human sacrifice ensured that the kings had servants in the Afterlife. Fact 14 on Qa'a: All of the kings of 1st Dynasty were associated with human sacrifice and chose members of their royal household to be buried with them. Bodies found from this era show marks of the throat having been cut or strangulation before the victims were decapitated. Fact 15 on Qa'a: The practise of human sacrifice ceased abruptly at the end of the 1st dynasty in the reign of Qa'a when 'shabtis' took the place of actual people. No more subsidiary graves were found in the tombs and funerary complexes of the kings of Egypt - the practise of human sacrifice had ceased. Fact 16 on Qa'a: Following the death of the king archaeological evidence appears to indicate that there was some conflict in relation to the succession. The king did not leave a legitimate heir to the throne and different factions were led by Sneferka (Horus Bird) and Hotepsekhemwy. Fact 17 on Qa'a: Hotepsekhemwy was the victor and finally ascended the throne of Egypt and started the 2nd dynasty of ancient Egyptian Kings. Ancient Egyptian King - Qa'a Fact Sheet King Qa'a and the 1st Dynasty King Qa'a - 1st Dynasty Name - Dates of Reign Narmer - Exact Dates Unknown Hor-Aha - Exact Dates UnknownDjer - Exact Dates Unknown Djet - Exact Dates UnknownQueen Merneith - Exact Dates Unknown Den - Exact Dates UnknownQa'a - Exact Dates Unknown Semerkhet - Exact Dates UnknownQa'a - Exact Dates Unknown Succession of the KingsQa'a Qa'a |
