It is however equally likely that the marshland on the palette represents just that: a marshland, which could have been part of the Nile Delta, but it could also have been the Fayum oasis, for instance, or just an area that happened to be flooded at the time. All of these are oversized, elaborate versions of common artifact types found in the Badarian/Khartoum Neolithic-Naqada I periods, and in this manner, they represent references to what would have been ancient history to the people of the Old Kingdom. It is thought by some to depict the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the king Narmer. That motif remained an important symbol throughout the Old, Middle and New Kingdoms and into Roman times, and arguably is a worldwide symbol of rulers. His role is normally interpreted as that of a 'shaman' and is not paralleled in later sources. The Narmer Palette, also known as the Great Hierakonpolis Palette or the Palette of Narmer, is a significant Egyptian archeological find, dating from about the 31st century BC, containing some of the earliest hieroglyphic inscriptions ever found. The king wears a short skirt decorated with bovine heads and an animal's tail. carefully buried. To the left of each victim, a hieroglyphic sign is drawn, the left-most representing a wall and the other some sort of knot. On the front or obverse side, the king, wearing the red crown and costume of Lower Egypt, marches out to view the stacked and dismembered bodies of his slain enemies, preceded by the souls of the kings of Lower Egypt. Also found at this dig were the Narmer Macehead and the Scorpion Macehead. temple precinct. This type of scene is also very common on entrances to temples, where they were intended to ward off any evil that might want to enter the temple. Many scholars consider him the unifier of Egypt and founder of the First Dynasty and in turn the first king of a unified Egypt. . It may thus perhaps have been a sign to write the word 'king' and if this is the case, then the bald man following Narmer on his palette, was a 'servant of the king'. The fact that the king is represented as barefooted and followed by a sandal-bearer perhaps suggests a ritual nature for the scene depicted on the palette. It was found in the Temple of Horus at Hierakonpolis, which was originally known as Nekhen. Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis … One of the primary reasons I found this piece so fascinating had to be the fact that it was fabricated at the of Egypt's history. The hook with which the falcon appears to be pulling at the personified marshland's nose, symbolises the breath of life that it takes out of the fallen land. It is suggested to have been made to commemorate the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt by the king Narmer. Plainer, smaller domestic cosmetic palettes had been made by Egyptians for at least a thousand years before the date of the Narmer Palette. The Narmer Palette is 64 centimeters (25 inches) long, and its shield shape is the same as that used for the domestic tool called a palette, which was used to hold cosmetics. If this name has remained the same throughout the history of Ancient Egypt, then the region conquered by Narmer was the Mareotis region, the 7, Against this, it must be pointed out that the palette does mention three names of cities or fortresses that were overthrown. The Narmer Palette was found in Hierakonpolis. The fact that Narmer is shown wearing the White Crown on one side and the Red Crown on the other, has often been forwarded as proof that it was he who united Upper and Lower Egypt. Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut and Large Kneeling Statue, New Kingdom, Egypt . Not only does it represent many of Egypt's early styles of art, it also plays with early hieroglyphics. ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/narmer-palette-early-period-ancient-egypt-171919. It is a key piece in the identification of Menes, the almost legendary first king to have ruled over the whole of Egypt. He is shown striking down a kneeling enemy, whilst stepping on the bodies of some other foes on the palette's back. The Narmer Palette. Most of the palette's back side is decorated with a scene showing the king about to strike down a foe, whom he grabs by the hair. 5) Carved into the top scrolls on both sides of Narmer’s palette are cows with human faces, sometimes portrayed as the goddesses Bat and Hathor. It is 64cm tall, 42cm wide and is on display in a museum in Cairo. This Pharaoh is best known as the Unifier of Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt from the portrayal of him on the famous Narmer Palette from Hierakonpolis discovered by James Edward Quibell and Frederick Green in 1899. Comparing the Narmer Palette to the Label of Den, which shows a similar scene, makes it more likely that the harpoon is to be read as the '. At the bottom of obverse side, the figure of a bull (probably representing the king) threatens an enemy. Quibell and Frederick W. Green, in what they called the Main Deposit in the Temple of Horus at Nekhen, during the dig season of 1897–98. The contrast between the naked victim and the clad king perhaps denotes that the victim was considered as barbaric.The signs of a harpoon and a lake behind his head have sometimes been interpreted as the name of the victim: Washi. The Narmer palette is a finely decorated plate of schist of about 64 cm high. The iconography of this piece expresses the traditional symbolism of government order in ancient Egypt through the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under King Narmer. Ancient Egyptian statue. The Great Pyramids of Giza. https://www.thoughtco.com/narmer-palette-early-period-ancient-egypt-171919 (accessed January 25, 2021). To the right of his head is a catfish, the schematic representation of his name Narmer (N'mr). It is, however, not certain whether in Narmer's time, this crown already had its traditional geographical significance, or whether it was associated more with a specific part of the king's overall responsibilities. Cosmetic palettes began to be used as prestige objects in Egypt as early as the predynastic Naqada II-III period (3400-3000 BCE). The top of the palette is decorated in a similar manner on both sides: the name of the king is inscribed in a so-called serekh between two bovine heads. The Narmer Palette, also known as the Great Hierakonpolis Paletteor the Palette of Narmer, is a significant Egyptianarcheological find, dating from about the 31st century BC, belonging, at least nominally, to the category of cosmetic palettes. When the Narmer palette was eventually found, there was no express sign showing that it belonged to Menes as the King of the first Dynasty in Egypt. A depression on such palettes was used to grind pigments, which were then mixed into a colored paste and applied to the body. Carved into the top scrolls on both sides of Narmer's palette are cows with human faces, sometimes interpreted as the goddesses Bat and Hathor. The tying together of the necks of the two animals has often been interpreted as a symbol for the tying together of Upper and Lower Egypt. Source: Tiradriti, Egyptian Treasures, pp. Four standard bearers are represented in front of the Tshet person. He worked at Hierakonpolis (ancient Nekhen), where amongst other discoveries his team found the Narmer Palette in 1898. Seated Scribe. The Narmer Palette, dating from about 3200 BC, contains some of the earliest hieroglyphic inscriptions ever found. As time passed Menes is now come to symbolize the three kings wishing to unite the upper and lower halves of Egypt and not just one king. Palette of King Narmer. Their legs are sprawling and their entire posture indicates that they are fallen enemies. Apart from a girdle, he is represented naked. Pyramid of Khufu. It is not unlikely that both sources actually do refer to the same event: a battle in a marshland, probably located in the eastern Nile Delta, which resulted in a victory for Narmer and the probable founding of the 7th Lower Egyptian province.Â, Have you spent years researching The Narmer Palette and now found yourself completely out of ideas? it is not certain whether in Narmer's time, the Red Crown already had its traditional geographical significance, or whether it was associated more with a specific part of the king's overall responsibilities. "The Narmer Palette." The Narmer palette is a finely decorated plate of schist of about 64 cm high. Time frame that the Palette of Narmer was in 2950 BC. It was made to commemorate him and is decorated in hieroglyphics. Khufu Statuette. The Narmer Palette is the name of an elaborately carved shield-shaped slab of gray schist made during the Old Kingdom of Dynastic Egypt (ca. The tablet was found in near perfect condition after have been lost for over five centuries. Using different types of imagery, the king is shown again and again as victorious over his enemies. Above the victims, a ship with a harpoon and a falcon in it, are drawn. Unification of Upper and Lower Egypt. ThoughtCo. The exact finding circumstances of these artefact have, however, not been noted in the survey report. These signs are often interpreted as the name of the conquered region. Some, such as Wengrow, believe the palette illustrates a Mediterranean cattle cult dating back to the Neolithic. On the front of the palette, he is represented overlooking the decapitated corpses of his foes or as a bull vigorously trampling an enemy and breaking down the walls of a city or a fortress. Then you should definitely give this. King Menkaure (Mycerinus) and queen. Of the two hieroglyphic signs that are written behind the man's head, the lower one can be read as '. The palette seems to commemorate the historical events which led to the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt. The famous Narmer Palette, discovered in 1898 in Hierakonpolis, shows Narmer displaying the insignia of both Upper and Lower Egypt, giving rise to the theory that he unified the two kingdoms in c. 3100 BCE. Both signs are usually interpreted as names of places that have been captured by Narmer. The site is perhaps best known as the home of the exquisite ceremonial Narmer Palette. The signs accompanying this figure could be read as Tshet yet their meaning is unknown. On this label, a catfish strikes down a fallen enemy. The images above the victim's head may seem to support the latter interpretation: a falcon, without a doubt a symbol of the king, is perched on top of some papyrus plants that sprout from a marshland. However no monument of Narmer has been found at Saqqara which at the time was the elite necropolis for Memphis. It was found in a deposit in Hierakonpolis, a Predynastic capital located in the South of Egypt, during the excavation season of 1897/98. It is the earliest monumental representation of any pharaoh: the carvings on the palette depict events in the life of King Narmer, also known as Menes, considered the founding ruler of Dynastic Egypt. This interpretation is, however, very doubtful, as it was unusual for official documents to actually provide the name of an enemy. It is thought to of been… The palette also refers to the founding of a region indicated by the signs ship-harpoon-falcon, a group of signs that at least in later times would be used to denote the 7, Have you spent years researching The Narmer Palette and now found yourself completely out of ideas? Indeed, in traditional times, Lower Egypt would be symbolised by a hieroglyph that represents a marshland. Numerous later Egyptian writings claim Narmer as the conqueror of all the societies along the length of the Nile River, but some scholarly doubt persists. The name of the city or fortress attacked by the bull is written within the walls, but its reading is unknown. Nekhen was the early capital of … Narmer was the king of the South who first marched his armed forces from the city of Nekhen (where was found the famous Palette) to the borders … The deposit where it was found also contained other artefacts stemming from the early beginnings of Ancient Egypt's recorded history: fragments of a ceremonial mace head belonging to Narmer and other mace head fragments inscribed with the name of king Scorpion, one of Narmer's alleged predecessors. Upper Egypt. In the top scene of the palette's front, the second figure from the left, identified by the two signs in front of him as Narmer, is represented wearing the Red Crown, that is usually associated with Lower Egypt. A bull, almost certainly a symbol of the king's vigour and strength, tramples a fallen foe and attacks the walls of a city or fortress with its horns. Palette of King Narmer, from Hierakonpolis, Egypt, Predynastic, c. 3000-2920 B.C.E., slate, 2' 1" high (Egyptian Museum, Cairo) The object itself is a monumental version of a type of daily use item commonly found in the predynastic period—palettes were generally flat, minimally decorated stone objects used for grinding and mixing minerals for cosmetics. The Palette of Narmer was one of the most significant finds in the field of Egyptology. 4) The Narmer palette is about 64 cm high. Hierakonpolis. It was found with a collection of other objects that had been used for ceremonial purposes and then ritually buried within the temple at Hierakonpolis. In most publications, these heads have been described as cows' heads, which is usually interpreted as an early reference to the cow-goddess, Bat or perhaps Hathor. Some Egyptologists have doubted the historicity of the events portrayed on the palette, forwarding the hypothesis that it served a ritual purpose rather than recording a historical event. The Story of Menes, the First Pharaoh of Egypt, Step Pyramid of Djoser - Ancient Egypt's First Monumental Pyramid, Pictures of the Periods of History in Ancient Egypt, Dynastic Egypt Timeline - 2,700 Years of Change in Egyptian Society, Hierakonpolis - City at the Start of Egyptian Civilization, Predynastic Egypt - Beginner's Guide to Earliest Egypt, The Symbolism Behind the Double Crown of Egypt, Old Kingdom: Ancient Egypt's Old Kingdom Period, Biography of Imhotep, Ancient Egyptian Architect, Philosopher, God, Politics and the Political System of the Ancient Maya, Akhenaten: Heretic and Pharaoh of New Kingdom Egypt, History of Animal and Plant Domestication, The Earliest Representations of Royal Power in Egypt: the Rock Drawings of Nag El-Hamdulab (Aswan), Context, Function and Program: Understanding Ceremonial Slate Palettes, Rethinking ‘Cattle Cults’ in Early Egypt: Towards a Prehistoric Perspective on the Narmer Palette, What a King Is This: Narmer and the Concept of the Ruler, The Metropolitan Museum Knife Handle and Aspects of Pharaonic Imagery before Narmer. The left side of this marshland is decorated with a man's head that is quite similar to that of the fallen foe. This magnificent palette of King Narmer displayed now in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. There are many symbols depicted on the palette. Narmer Palette The Narmer Palette is a significant Egyptian archaeological find, dating from about the 31st century BC. It is, however, equally possible that the animals are bulls and that they refer to the bull-like vigour of the king, a symbolism that occurs in the scene at the bottom of the  palette front as well. One of their arms is raised up, the other is drawn behind their backs. Pyramid of Khafre and the Great Sphinx. The Narmer Palette was probably never used for that purpose, but there is a circular depression on it. Where was the Palette of King Narmer discovered? Artifacts similar to or like Narmer Palette. The Narmer palette is a finely decorated plate of schist of about 64 cm high. It is a key piece in the … The animals' heads are drawn from the front, which is rather uncharacteristic of later Egyptian art. It was found in a deposit in Hierakonpolis, a Predynastic capital located in the South of Egypt, during the excavation season of 1897/98. The top sign, the asterisk or floral element, also appears on the Scorpion Macehead, right before the sign of the scorpion that identifies the king. The signs accompanying this figure could be read as, Four standard bearers are represented in front of the, The object of this procession is made clear on the right hand side of the scene: 10 decapitated corpses are shown lying on the ground, their heads thrown between their legs. Palettes are key-artifacts for data concerning the late predynastic period: Narmer Palette, found in the Temple of Horus of Nekhen by Quibell and Green in 1899, is a plain object, with relief decoration, on which various sets of scenes are shown , more or less directly related to the King. Besides the Narmer Palette, several other pieces of evidence exist that show that Egypt was unified under Narmer. Behind the king an apparently bald person holds a pair of sandals in his left hand and a basket in his right. Some scholars such as Millet and O'Connor have argued that this scene functions as a year label—the palette represents events that happened during the Year of Smiting the North Land. In the top scene of the palette's front, the second figure from the left, identified by the two signs in front of him as Narmer, is represented wearing the Red Crown, that is usually associated with Lower Egypt. Temple of Amun-Re and the Hypostyle Hall, Karnak. Narmer's palette was found in a deposit with 2,000 other votive objects within the ruins of a temple at his capital city of Hierakonpolis south of Luxor. Hirst, K. Kris. Egyptian dynastic civilization began over 5,000 years ago with the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt into a single Upper Egyptian Polity based at Hierankopolis, that unification attributed to Narmer in historical Egyptian records. Narmer, or Menes, ruled about 3050 BCE and was considered by the First Dynasty Egyptians as the founder of that Dynasty, the last king of what archaeologists call Dynasty 0, or the Early Bronze Age IB. A rectangle above this sandal-bearer's head contains a sign of uncertain meaning. The main central relief of the reverse side of the palette shows King Menes wearing the white crown and dress of Upper Egypt kings and raising his mace to smite a kneeling prisoner. British archaeologists James E. Quibell and Frederick Green found the main deposit during their 1897-1898 field season at Hierakonpolis. The Narmer Palette is one of the most famous artefacts of Ancient Egypt. In addition to these simple, purely functional, palettes however, there were also a number of larger, far more elaborate palettes created in this period. This lower circular area indicates the place where a cosmetic would be put if this were not a ceremonial palette. Its size, weight and the fact that it was decorated on both sides show that it was a ceremonial, commemorative rather than an actual cosmetic palette intended for daily use. Their reading is unknown so even if they do denote names of places, we do not know which places they are. Many perceive it as a historical document—a bit of political braggadocio—specifically of the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt. Many of these objects are ceremonial replicas of long-used domesticate objects. Its size, weight and the fact that it was decorated on both sides show that it was a ceremonial, commemorative rather than an actual cosmetic palette intended for daily use. The Narmer Palette is the famous depiction of Narmer, forming part of the Main Deposit, who is believed be shown unifying the lands of Upper and Lower Egypt, found by James Edward Quibell and his team in 1899 at Abydos. Hirst, K. Kris. The scene at the bottom of the palette's front face continues the imagery of conquest and victory. Narmer's own tomb has been identified at Naqada. It was found in a deposit in Hierakonpolis, a Predynastic capital located in the South of Egypt, during the excavation season of 1897/98. Temple caches of this type are not uncommon. The palette also refers to the founding of a region indicated by the signs ship-harpoon-falcon, a group of signs that at least in later times would be used to denote the 7th Lower Egyptian province located in the eastern Nile Delta.In addition, a label found in 1998 during excavations in Abydos, does seem to confirm the historicity of the palette. Narmer is preceded by a long-haired person who holds an emblem in his hands. ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. "The Narmer Palette." The images above the victim's head may seem to support the latter interpretation: a falcon, without a doubt a symbol of the king, is perched on top of some papyrus plants that sprout from a marshland. The ‘Narmer Palette’ is important because it contains some of the earliest hieroglyphic inscriptions ever found. Behind the king an apparently bald person holds a pair of sandals in his left hand and a basket in his right. The Narmer Palette, also known as the Great Hierakonpolis Palette or the Palette of Narmer, is a significant Egyptian archaeological find; dating from about the 31st century BC, it contains some of the earliest hieroglyphic inscriptions ever found. 40-41. British archaeologists James E. Quibell and Frederick Green found the main deposit during their 1897-1898 field season at Hierakonpolis. Created entirely from one piece of dark … The Palette […] Indeed, several instances of the scene where a king strikes down his foes do not seem to have been based on actual fact but were part of the royal propaganda that portrays the kings as the protector of the country. (2020, August 28). In 1993, a “year label” of Narmer was found in Abydos, showing similar events as the palette and thereby proving, for many Egyptologists, that the depictions of the palette are historical events. Between the two is a serekh, a rectangular box containing hieroglyphs of the main protagonist, Narmer. This interpretation is, however, very doubtful, as it was unusual for official documents to actually provide the name of an enemy. Narmer Palette is similar to these artifacts: Khufu Statuette, Gebel el-Arak Knife, Hunters Palette and more. K. Kris Hirst is an archaeologist with 30 years of field experience. 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