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Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt > Djet

Djet

Serekh containing the name of Djet
Serekh containing the name of Djet, on display at the Louvre. Third King of the First Dynasty, also referred to as Zet and Uadji (in Greek possibly the king known as Uenephes), his tomb is located at Abydos (Tomb Z). The funerary stele is inscribed with the royal serekh containing a snake hieroglyph, surmounted by the Horus falcon with the 'palace facade' design in the lower half.

Djet, also known as Wadj, Zet and Uadji (in Greek possibly the king known as Uenephes), ca. 2920 BC, was the third Egyptian king of the first dynasty. His name means serpent.

Djet also Wadj, Zet & Uadji (in Greek possibly the king known as Uenephes)

Pharaoh / King Djet had his name after the vulture goddess of the south - Uadjet, and a single snake is present on his serek. In Saqqara one outstanding mastaba is from his reign. It measured 56 by 24 metres (twice the size of the Abydos tomb) and had 300 bulls' head sculptured around it with real horns. This magnificent tomb made the excavator, British archaeologist Emery seriously take under consideration the possibility that Saqqara was the actual burial ground of the kings.

Nowadays (year 2007) the pendulum has turned again and Abydos is the favourite. During King Djet's reign great advances were made in art and handicraft. If Djet is identical with Uenephes from Manetho's list, he is noted for a reign of 23 years.

Little is known about his reign, but he has become famous because of his tomb stela. It is decorated with Djet's Horus name, and shows that the distinct Egyptian style had already become fully developed.

His stela is displayed at the Louvre in Paris. It is made of limestone carved by the sculptor Serekh. The stela was discovered near the ancient city of Abydos where Wadj's mortuary complex is located. The only other place that Egyptologists found a reference to him was in an inscription near the city of Edfu, to the south of Egypt.

His wife was Queen Mereneith, who acted as mentor and advisor for his son and successor, King Den. Queen Merenith ruled Egypt as regent when Den became king as a child. This essentially meant that she ruled Egypt until he was capable of doing so himself.

There are, many scholars who think that Merenith was a ruler in her own right. Stone vessels and sealings bearing her name were found at Saqqara, as was a stela with her name written inan archaic form with crossed arrows signifying the name of Neith. Merenith has two burial sites, one at Abydos and one at Saqqara (Mastaba 3503). The Saqqara tomb contains some artifacts that show the the name of a high court official called Seshemka. The Abydos burial complex is amongst those of the kings of her dynasty. A stela had her name blended with royal emblems, as did her coffin.
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