Dynasty Notes

It's odd to realize that there is less evidence for the pharaohs of the 2nd dynasty than there is for the very first rulers of Egypt. The first few rulers of the dynasty are almost unknown except for a few mentions of their names. Later kings are better documented, but we don't have tombs and huge burials to sift through until Peribsen and Khasekhemwy.

These two tombs in Abydos are large, and probably contained more grave goods than all of thefirst dynasty tombs combined -- although they lacked the subsidiary burials that attended the early kings.

Manetho -- who, despite his questionable histories and often inaccurate translations, remains a primary source for the chronology of ancient egypt -- says that the 2nd Dynasty was made up of nine kings who ruled for 302 years. This is unlikely, given the modern evidence for the kings of this dynasty.

It seems that part-way through the dynasty, the "unified egypt" ruled by Ninetjer fell apart and there were once again two (or more) rulers of Upper and Lower Egypt. It is possible that the continuing rivalry between the north and south, and Horus and Seth, continued throughout the second dynasty, resulting in the split. Peribsen was the first to reunify the lands, but it was Khasekhemwy who once again ruled Egypt as its sole pharaoh.

Peribsen/Sekhemib is notable because he was probably the first pharaoh who broke with the major religious practices of Egypt -- he forsook Horus for Seth, and may be the first true religious reformer in Egypt.

The first steps are here that set the stage for the Pyramid Age -- which follows in Dynasty III with the Step Pyramid of Djoser, and the evolution of the tombs and mortuary temples is clear.

The most commonly accepted chronology of pharaohs is this:

Hetepsekhemwy
Reneb (Nebre)
Weneg
Ninetjer
Sened
Nubnefer
Neferkare
Neferkaseker
Hudjefa I
Peribsen-Sekhemib
Khasekhemwy

pharaohs

Hetepsekhemwy
Reneb (Nebre)
Weneg
Ninetjer
Sened
Nubnefer
Neferkare
Neferkaseker
Hudjefa I
Peribsen-Sekhemib
Khasekhemwy