Editing Narmer (section)

==Historical identity==

{{multiple image
| align = right
| direction = horizontal
| header = Comparison of serekhs
| total_width = 250
| caption_align = center
| image1 = Detail from Narmer inscription on alabaster vessel from Abydos.svg
| caption1 = Name of Narmer in full format
| image2 = Menes name in full format.svg
| caption2 = Name of [[Hor-Aha]] in full format
| footer = 
}}
Although highly interrelated, the questions of "who was [[Menes]]?" and "who unified Egypt?" are actually two separate issues. Narmer is often credited with the [[unification of Egypt]] by means of the conquest of [[Lower Egypt]] by [[Upper Egypt]]. [[Menes]] is traditionally considered the first [[king]]/[[pharaoh]] of [[Ancient Egypt]], and is identified by the majority of [[Egyptologists]] as the same person as Narmer – although a vigorous debate also proposes identification with [[Hor-Aha]], Narmer's successor, as a primary alternative.{{efn|name=b|The question of who was Menes—hence, who was the first king of the [[First Dynasty of Egypt|First Dynasty]] has been hotly debated. Since 1897, 70 different authors have taken an opinion on whether it is Narmer or Aha.{{sfn | Heagy |2014| pp=83–84}} Most of these are only passing references, but there have been several in depth analyses on both sides of the issues. Recent discussions in favor of Narmer include {{harvnb|Kinnaer|2001}}, {{harvnb|Cervelló-Autuori |2005}}, and {{harvnb|Heagy|2014}}. Detailed discussions in favor of Aha include {{harvnb|Helck| 1953}}, {{harvnb|Emery |1961|pp=31–37}}, and {{harvnb|Dreyer|2007}}. For the most part, English speaking authors favor Narmer, while German speaking authors favor [[Hor-Aha]]. The most important evidence in favor of Narmer are the two necropolis seal impressions from [[Abydos, Egypt|Abydos]], which list Narmer as the first king. Since the publication of the first of the [[necropolis sealings]] in 1987, 28 authors have published articles identifying Narmer with [[Menes]] compared to 14 who identify Narmer with [[Hor-Aha]].}}

The issue is confusing because "Narmer" is a [[Horus name]] while "Menes" is a [[Prenomen (Ancient Egypt)|Sedge and Bee name]] (personal or birth name). All of the [[List_of_pharaohs#Ancient_Egyptian_king_lists|King Lists]] which began to appear in the [[New Kingdom]] era list the personal names of the kings, and almost all begin with [[Menes]], or begin with divine and/or semi-divine rulers, with [[Menes]] as the first "human king". The difficulty is aligning the contemporary archaeological evidence which lists Horus names with the king lists that list personal names.

[[File:Naqad Label.svg|right|thumb|Naqada Label reconstruction]]
Two documents have been put forward as proof either that Narmer was [[Menes]] or alternatively [[Hor-Aha]] was [[Menes]]. The first is the "Naqada Label" found at the site of [[Naqada]], in the tomb of [[Neithhotep]], often assumed to have been the mother of [[Horus Aha]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ancient-egypt.org/history/early-dynastic-period/1st-dynasty/horus-aha/naqada-label.html|title = Naqada Label &#124; the Ancient Egypt Site}}</ref> The label shows a [[serekh]] of Hor-Aha next to an enclosure inside of which are symbols that have been interpreted by some scholars as the name "Menes". The second is the seal impression from Abydos that alternates between a ''serekh'' of Narmer and the chessboard symbol, "''mn''", which is interpreted as an abbreviation of Menes. Arguments have been made with regard to each of these documents in favour of Narmer or [[Hor-Aha]] being [[Menes]], but in neither case is the argument conclusive.{{efn|In the upper right hand quarter of the [[Naqada label]] is a ''serekh'' of [[Hor-Aha]]. To its right is a hill-shaped triple enclosure with the "''mn''" sign surmounted by the signs of the "two ladies", the goddesses of [[Upper Egypt]] ([[Nekhbet]]) and [[Lower Egypt]] ([[Wadjet]]). In later contexts, the presence of the "two ladies" would indicate a "''nbty''" name (one of the five names of the king). Hence, the inscription was interpreted as showing that the "''nbty''" name of [[Hor-Aha]] was "''Mn''" short for [[Menes]].{{sfn|Borchardt|1897|pp=1056–1057}} An alternative theory is that the enclosure was a [[funeral shrine]] and it represents Hor-Aha burying his predecessor, Menes. Hence Menes was Narmer.{{sfn|Newberry|1929|pp=47–49}} Although the label generated a lot of debate, it is now generally agreed that the inscription in the shrine is not a king's name, but is the name of the shrine "The Two Ladies Endure", and provide no evidence for who Menes was.{{sfn|Kinnaer|2003|p=30}}}}

[[File:Narmer-Menes seal impression.svg|thumb|Reconstruction of the Narmer-Menes Seal impression from Abydos]]
The second document, the seal impression from Abydos, shows the serekh of Narmer alternating with the gameboard sign (''[[wikt:mn|mn]]''), together with its phonetic complement, the ''n'' sign, which is always shown when the full name of Menes is written, again representing the name "Menes". At first glance, this would seem to be strong evidence that Narmer was Menes.{{sfn|Newberry|1929|pp=49–50}} However, based on an analysis of other early [[First Dynasty of Egypt|First Dynasty]] seal impressions, which contain the name of one or more princes, the seal impression has been interpreted by other scholars as showing the name of a prince of Narmer named Menes, hence Menes was Narmer's successor, Hor-Aha, and thus Hor-Aha was Menes.{{sfn|Helck|1953|pp=356–359}} Cervelló-Autuori has rebutted this ({{harvnb|Cervelló-Autuori|2005|pp=42–45}}), but opinions still vary, and the seal impression cannot be said to definitively support either theory.{{sfn|Heagy|2014|pp=77–78}}

[[File:Merneith1.png|thumb|right|[[Den seal impressions|Necropolis seal impression]] of the Egyptian pharaoh [[Den (pharaoh)|Den]].]]
[[File:Abydos_necropolis_seal_impression_of_Qa'a.jpg|thumb|right|Necropolis seal impression of the Egyptian pharaoh, [[Qa'a]].<ref>{{harvnb|Dreyer|1987|p=36, fig.3}}</ref>]]

Two necropolis sealings, found in 1985 and 1991 in Abydos ([[Umm El Qa'ab|Umm el-Qa'ab]]), in or near the tombs of [[Den (pharaoh)|Den]]{{sfn|Dreyer|1987}}&nbsp;(called the [[Den seal impressions]]) and [[Qa'a]]&nbsp;(called the Qa'a sealing),{{sfn|Dreyer et al. |1996|pp=72–73, fig. 6, pl.4b-c}} show Narmer as the first king on each list, followed by Hor-Aha. The Qa'a sealing lists all eight of the kings of what scholars now call the First Dynasty in the correct order, starting with Narmer. These necropolis sealings are strong evidence that Narmer was the first king of the First Dynasty, hence the same person as Menes.{{sfn|Cervelló-Autuori |2008 | pp = 887–899}}