Ancient Egyptian History
Dynasties of Ancient Egypt
Predynastic Egypt Predynastic Egypt Protodynastic Period Early Dynastic 1st Dynasty 2nd Dynasty 3rd Dynasty Old Kingdom 4th Dynasty 5th Dynasty 6th Dynasty First Intermediate 7th Dynasty 8th Dynasty 9th Dynasty 10th Dynasty 11th Dynasty (Thebes only) Middle Kingdom 11th Dynasty (All Egypt) 12th Dynasty 13th Dynasty 14th Dynasty Second Intermediate 15th Dynasty 16th Dynasty 17th Dynasty New Kingdom 18th 19th 20th Third Intermediate 21st 22nd 23rd 24th 25th Late Period 26th 27th (First Persian Period) 28th 29th 30th 31st (Second Persian Period) Greek-Roman Alexander the Great Ptolemaic dynasty Roman Egypt Arab Conquest
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The first dynasty of Ancient Egypt is often combined with the second dynasty under the group title, Early Dynastic Period of Egypt. At that time the capital was Thinis.

Contents 1 Rulers 2 Human sacrifice as part of royal funerary practice 3 References 4 See also

[edit] Rulers

Known rulers, in the History of Egypt, for the First Dynasty are as follows:

First Dynasty

Name	Comments	Dates
Narmer	- probably Menes on earlier lists	c. 3100–3050 B.C.
Hor-Aha		c. 3050–3049 B.C.
Djer	-	c. 3049–3008 B.C. 41 years (Palermo Stone)
Merneith	the mother of Den	-
Djet	-	3008–2975?
Den	-	2975–2935 30 to 50 years(40 years?)
Anedjib	-	2935?–2925? 10 years (Palermo Stone)
Semerkhet	-	2925?–2916? 9 years (Palermo Stone)
Qa'a	-	2916?–2890 B.C.

Information about this dynasty is derived from a few monuments and other objects bearing royal names, the most important being the Narmer Palette. No detailed records of the first two dynasties have survived, except for the terse lists on the Palermo stone. The hieroglyphs were fully developed by then, and their shapes would be used with little change for more than three thousand years.

Large tombs of pharaohs at Abydos and Naqada, in addition to cemeteries at Saqqara and Helwan near Memphis, reveal structures built largely of wood and mud bricks, with some small use of stone for walls and floors. Stone was used in quantity for the manufacture of ornaments, vessels, and occasionally, for statues.

[edit] Human sacrifice as part of royal funerary practice

Human sacrifice, was practiced as part of the funerary rituals associated with all of the pharaohs of the first dynasty.^[1] It is demonstrated clearly as existing during this dynasty by hundreds of retainers being buried in each pharaoh's tomb along with other animals sacrificed for the burial. The tomb of Djer is associated with the burials of 338 individuals.^[2] The people and animals sacrificed, such as donkeys, were expected to assist the pharaoh in the afterlife. For unknown reasons, this practice ended with the conclusion of the dynasty, with shabtis taking the place of actual people to aid the pharaohs with the work expected of them in the afterlife.^[3]

[edit] References

1. ^ Shaw, Ian. The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. p. 68. Oxford University Press. 2000. ISBN 0-19-280458-8
2. ^ Shaw, Ian. The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. p. 68. Oxford University Press. 2000. ISBN 0-19-280458-8
3. ^ Shaw, Ian. The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. p. 68. Oxford University Press. 2000. ISBN 0-19-280458-8

[edit] See also

• Early dynastic period of Egypt