home | travelogue | itinerary | photos | history | books
Previous Kingdon Next Kingdon
Previous Dynasty Next Dynasty
   

 

Titulary what's this?
Horus Name Qa'a "Extended of Arm"
Nebty Name Sen-Nebti, "Brother of the Two Ladies"
   
Manetho Beineches, Ubienthes, Vibenthis
King Lists Qebeh, Qebehu, Qheb
Alternate Names Horus-Qaa, Kaa
Dates what's this?
manetho 26 years
turin canon 63 years
piccione 2889 -- 2859 BCE
  2890-2860 BCE
grimal 2960-2926 BCE
krauss 2870/2850 BCE
von beckerath 2853-2828 BCE
malek 2818-2793 BCE
Succession
Predecessor Semerkhet (possibly father)
Successor Hetepsekhemwy, or Sneferka
Associated People
Father Semerkhet or Anedjib
Officials Merka and Sabef
Burial Place
Tomb  Q in Abydos, with two funerary stelae and 26 subsidiary burials. 24.9 x 15.5 x 5 m.
Monuments
Four mastaba tombs in Saqqara belonging to his officials
History

Qa'a is usually considered the last king of the first dynasty, although dates are rather wildly different when it comes to this king.  There isn't much information about him (getting annoyed at that statement yet? It's years before there is "much information" about any of the kings). Again, most information comes from his tomb in Abydos and burials in nearby Saqqara from the same time period. A seal impressions listing al the kings of Dynasty I (minus Merneith) was found in the 1990s which helped solidify the succession of the dynasty.

His tomb was originally excavated by Emile Amelineau (remember him? He's probably one of the worst archaeologists of the era) and then again by Flinders Petrie (one of the best) in 1902. Recent excavations by german teams in the 1990s found many other artifacts in the tomb that had been ignored or overlooked in the earlier excavations. The tomb has two funerary stelae with the name of the king on them. Inside the tomb, the name of Hetepsekhemwy, the next king and founder of the second dynasty, were found. most likely, he completed the tomb after Qa'a's death. We have no explanation why we moved from Dynasty I to Dynasty II.  The unified Egypt created by Menes had begun to break down with the rule of Anedjib and the division continued into the reign of Qa'a, perhaps that is what made Manetho separate them.

Four large tombs in Saqqara date from his reign, and there may have been an offering chapel associated with them -- the precursor of the mortuary temple complex that is seen in pyramids later on. Two stelae were discovered for officials in his government, Merka and Sabef, with complex inscriptions.

A number of artifacts were found in the tomb during its many excavations. Amelineau made off with pretty much everything he could find, but documented almost none of it; Petrie found ivory gaming sticks and other artifacts, and the latest german team have uncovered evidence that the tomb was altered several times, although it still retains some of the wooden floor and colorful decorations.

Qa'a is the last king to be buried with subsidiary burials of attendants and servants.

 

pharaohs

Menes
Djer
Merneith
Djet
Den
Anedjib
Semerkhet
Qa'a
Sneferka

monuments

Tomb Q, Abydos
Mastaba, Saqqara