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Egypt has historically been divided into two regions.  The southern region, known as Upper Egypt, is mostly desert with only the banks of the Nile available for farming.  In contrast, Lower Egypt is a fertile delta divided by the seven branches of the Nile River.  It is a vast land bound only by a single silver strand, the Nile.

It is generally thought that Narmer was the first to rule over these two regions.  His name was first discovered inscribed on a stone palette unearthed by two British archaeologists in the late 1800’s while excavating a very old temple at a site called Nekhen in Upper Egypt.  The Palette offers a remarkable look into Egypt at a time when it was just beginning to emerge into the light of history.

The Palette

Stone palettes like the one pictured above were traditionally used for crushing and mixing pigments for cosmetics.   However, the Narmer Palette would have been much too fine to have been for everyday use.  The Palette was probably placed in a temple of the goddess Bat, depicted at the top of the Palette as a human faced cow with ears shaped liked the leaves of a tree.  This goddess would later be identified with Hathor, another cow headed Egyptian goddess.

The Pharaoh

On one side of the Palette, the pharaoh is shown grasping a prisoner by the hair and smashing his head with a mace!  This is the earliest example of what would become a very common way of depicting royal power in the Ancient Near East.  If you look closely you can see that the king is wearing the tail of a bull tucked into his kilt.  The tall, conical crown was the traditional crown of Upper Egypt.  The pharaoh’s sandal bearer is standing behind the pharaoh.  Why is the pharaoh barefooted?  (I don’t know!)  And who exactly is the poor guy on the receiving end of the pharaoh’s mace?  He is probably a defeated ruler of Lower Egypt.  We know this because directly above the prisoner’s head, another depiction of the prisoner is seen, except this time with a hook through his nose and six papyrus reeds growing out of his back.   The symbolism seems to suggest that Narmer has defeated six —– tribes? thousands? rulers? in Lower Egypt, a region famous for its papyrus plants. 

The Young Prince

The king is named ‘Narmer’ on this Palette, written with the hieroglyph for a catfish and a chisel.  This is among the earliest hieroglyphic texts discovered in Egypt!   Notice how the pharaoh is wearing a different crown, this one with a rearing cobra (uraeus).  This is the traditional crown of Lower Egypt.  His son, the crown prince, is walking before him. 

Lions with Serpent Heads

The two lions with intertwined serpent heads probably symbolize the unification of upper and lower Egypt.  Notice how these fearsome beasts are held under control by two men with ropes, a visual representation of the peace the king has imposed on the two lands.  The circle formed by their necks is the places where pigments are crushed.  A curious seal from Uruk in Mesopotamia depicts the exact same animals in exactly the same pose.  The similarity between the two is remarkable! 

The Bull

At the bottom of the palette the pharaoh is depicted as a bull breaking down the walls of a city.  This is significant because it is the earliest known representation of a city with walls!  Before the discovery of this Palette, it was thought that people living at that time did not live in cities with walls or towers!

Kite?

The symbolism in the image (above) is pretty clear.  These two men are being trampled under the pharaoh’s (barefooted) feet.  But there is something else to see here.  Do you see the symbols next to their heads?  The one on the left quite clearly represents the walls of a city.  So this might represent a group of people who lived in cities.  But what about the other one, shaped like an award ribbon?  What does it represent?  Could it represent a desert kite?  (see here)  If so, then maybe this represents a nomadic group of people who found their food by hunting and gathering.

References

Amiran, R. (1968). “Note on One Sign in the Narmer Palette.” Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 7: 127-127.

Toby, A. H. W. (2000). “What a King Is This: Narmer and the Concept of the Ruler.” The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 86: 23-32.

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Egypt has historically been divided into two regions.  The southern region, known as Upper Egypt, is mostly desert with only the banks of the Nile available for farming.  In contrast, Lower Egypt is a fertile delta divided by the seven branches of the Nile River.  It is a vast land bound only by a single silver strand, the Nile.

It is generally thought that Narmer was the first to rule over these two regions.  His name was first discovered inscribed on a stone palette unearthed by two British archaeologists in the late 1800’s while excavating a very old temple at a site called Nekhen in Upper Egypt.  The Palette offers a remarkable look into Egypt at a time when it was just beginning to emerge into the light of history.

The Palette

Stone palettes like the one pictured above were traditionally used for crushing and mixing pigments for cosmetics.   However, the Narmer Palette would have been much too fine to have been for everyday use.  The Palette was probably placed in a temple of the goddess Bat, depicted at the top of the Palette as a human faced cow with ears shaped liked the leaves of a tree.  This goddess would later be identified with Hathor, another cow headed Egyptian goddess.

The Pharaoh

On one side of the Palette, the pharaoh is shown grasping a prisoner by the hair and smashing his head with a mace!  This is the earliest example of what would become a very common way of depicting royal power in the Ancient Near East.  If you look closely you can see that the king is wearing the tail of a bull tucked into his kilt.  The tall, conical crown was the traditional crown of Upper Egypt.  The pharaoh’s sandal bearer is standing behind the pharaoh.  Why is the pharaoh barefooted?  (I don’t know!)  And who exactly is the poor guy on the receiving end of the pharaoh’s mace?  He is probably a defeated ruler of Lower Egypt.  We know this because directly above the prisoner’s head, another depiction of the prisoner is seen, except this time with a hook through his nose and six papyrus reeds growing out of his back.   The symbolism seems to suggest that Narmer has defeated six —– tribes? thousands? rulers? in Lower Egypt, a region famous for its papyrus plants. 

The Young Prince

The king is named ‘Narmer’ on this Palette, written with the hieroglyph for a catfish and a chisel.  This is among the earliest hieroglyphic texts discovered in Egypt!   Notice how the pharaoh is wearing a different crown, this one with a rearing cobra (uraeus).  This is the traditional crown of Lower Egypt.  His son, the crown prince, is walking before him. 

Lions with Serpent Heads

The two lions with intertwined serpent heads probably symbolize the unification of upper and lower Egypt.  Notice how these fearsome beasts are held under control by two men with ropes, a visual representation of the peace the king has imposed on the two lands.  The circle formed by their necks is the places where pigments are crushed.  A curious seal from Uruk in Mesopotamia depicts the exact same animals in exactly the same pose.  The similarity between the two is remarkable! 

The Bull

At the bottom of the palette the pharaoh is depicted as a bull breaking down the walls of a city.  This is significant because it is the earliest known representation of a city with walls!  Before the discovery of this Palette, it was thought that people living at that time did not live in cities with walls or towers!

Kite?

The symbolism in the image (above) is pretty clear.  These two men are being trampled under the pharaoh’s (barefooted) feet.  But there is something else to see here.  Do you see the symbols next to their heads?  The one on the left quite clearly represents the walls of a city.  So this might represent a group of people who lived in cities.  But what about the other one, shaped like an award ribbon?  What does it represent?  Could it represent a desert kite?  (see here)  If so, then maybe this represents a nomadic group of people who found their food by hunting and gathering.

References

Amiran, R. (1968). “Note on One Sign in the Narmer Palette.” Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 7: 127-127.

Toby, A. H. W. (2000). “What a King Is This: Narmer and the Concept of the Ruler.” The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 86: 23-32.