Khasekhemwi

  Khasekhemwi

 Khasekhemwi, who in all likelihood started his reign as Horus Khasekhem, brought back unity to a country that appears to have been dived after the reign of Horus Ninetjer. 

 

Statue of Khasekhemwy,

Khasekhemwi Quick Facts

Chronology
Dynasty: 2nd
Predecessors:
Seth Peribsen (?)
Horus Sekhemib (?)
Successor: Horus Netjerikhet
Reign: abt. 2670 - 2650 BC
Highest Year: 8th cattle count. 18 years on the Annals Stone.Family
Wife: Nimaathap
Children: Horus Netjerikhet, HetephernebtiPrincipal Monuments
Great Enclosure at Saqqara
Shunet ez-Zebib
Tomb V at Umm el-Qa’ab

Biography of  Khasekhemwi

Khasekhemwi is the last king of the 2nd Dynasty. He probably came to power as Horus Khasekhem, which means “Horus, the powerful one appears” and may initially only have ruled part of the country. Somewhere during his reign, he changed his titulary to  Khasekhemwi, meaning “Horus and Set, the two powerful ones appear”, most likely hinting at a reunification of the country after it had been divided following the reign of Horus Ninetjer earlier in the 2nd Dynasty. The addition of the phrase “the two lords are at peace in him” to his titulary, only confirms this reunification.
Having come to power using a Horus Name, it has often been assumed that his opponent, the king he had to defeat in order to reunite the country, was Seth Peribsen, whose titulary indeed does distinguish him for the Horus-kings, perhaps even of the Horus-king who ruled the other part of Egypt. This, however, is contradicted by the find of seal impressions of Horus Sekhemib at the entrance of Peribsen’s tomb, pointing to Sekhemib as Peribsen’s successor. If Khasekhem and Peribsen were contemporary kings, it is more likely that Khasekhem would have had to defeat Sekhemib in his reconquest of the country. But even this seems unlikely, as both Peribsen and Khasekhemwi were buried at the royal necropolis of Umm el-Qa’ab, a possible indication that both kings had their initial power base in the south of the country.
Khasekhemwi led several military campaigns, among others against “the Northerners”. Although it is very tempting to identify these “Northerners” as the king or kings who ruled the north of Egypt, it is equally possible that the inscription refers to a campaign outside of the country, or perhaps to an attempted invasion of the country by a people coming from the north. If the “Northerners” can indeed be identified with a dynasty ruling in the north of Egypt, this would confirm that Khasekhem’s initial realm was located in the south of the country, making him a successor and not an enemy of Seth Peribsen.
A total of 8 cattle counts, which, during his reign were held every two years, have been found. The 18 year cells recorded on the fragments of the Annals Stone confirm that Khasekhemwi’s reign lasted for 17 to 18 years. During this time, he undertook several building projects, mainly in the south of Egypt. Among his principal buildings were a fortress at Nekhen and an enclosure near Umm el-Qa’ab known today as Shunet ez-Zebib. The so-called Great Enclosure, a large structure reminiscent of Shunet ez-Zebib, may probably also be credited to him and would be one of the rare buildings dated to his reign found in the north of Egypt. It is the oldest known building to have been built, at least partially, in natural stone and may have served as inspiration for Netjerikhet’s nearby funerary complex.
Likely as it is that Khasekhemwi was a successor of Peribsen and Sekhemib, relationship with his two predecessors, nor that with his contemporary kings, can as yet be established.
Seal impressions bearing the name of queen Nimaathap were found in Khasekhemwi’s tomb, making it likely that she was his wife. During the reign of Netjerikhet, she also bears the title “King’s Mother”, thus establishing that she was Netjerikhet’s mother.  She may also have been the mother of queen Hetephernebti, in which case Netjerikhet would have been married to his full sister.
Khasekhemwi is the last king to have been buried in a tomb at the royal necropolis of Umm el-Qa’ab, be it slightly off to the south-west of the tombs of the 1st Dynasty. Several finds in and near this tomb dated to the reign of Netjerikhet confirm the identity of Khasekhemwi’s successor.
A large funerary enclosure now known as Shunet ez-Zebib, was built at some distance near Khasekhemwi’s tomb. Built in brick stones, it is believed to have been intended for the king’s funerary cult.

Titulary of Horus-Seth Khasekhemwi

Horus Name

1. Hr xa sxmHorus, the power has appeared

Horus-Seth Name
This name is a variation on the Horus Name. It combines the traditional Horus Name, with the Seth Name that was used by Seth Peribsen.

2. Hr-stX xa sxm.wj nTr.wj Htp im=fHorus-Seth, the two powers have appeared, the two gods are at peace in him

Nebti Name

3. nb.tj xa sxm.wj nTr.wj Htp im=fThe Two Ladies, the two powers have appeared, the two gods are at peace in him
4. nb.tj xa sxm.wj nbw X(.t)=snThe Two Ladies, their bodies are golden

Kinglists

5. DADAjDjadjay
6. bbtjBebti
7. bbtj///Bebti///

Manetho
Manetho does not appear to refer to a king whose name might resemble any of the names that have been used to identify Khasekhemwi.
Alternative names in modern-day literature
Horus-Khasekhem, Horus-Chasechem, Horus-Khasekhemwi, Chasechem, Chasechemoui, Horus-Chasechemoui

Great Enclosure at Saqqara

To the west of the unfinished pyramid of Sekhemkhet, a large rectangular structure was discovered composed mainly of a gigantic enclosure wall. With its 600 by 300 metres, this enclosure encompasses an area that is even considerably larger than Netjerikhet's neighbouring complex.
It as long been assumed -without any substantial examination of this structure- that this wall, known as the ‘Great Enclosure‘ or by its Arab name ‘Gisr el-Mudir‘ (wall of the director), was part of an unfinished mortuary complex of an unidentified 3rd Dynasty king. There is, however, no trace of a step pyramid inside this wall. Furthermore, this wall seems to have been completed, which would make the building of a pyramid within its compounds quite impossible.
Recent research by the EES has shown that Gisr el-Mudir may at least be one generation older than the Horus Netjerikhet, thus dating to the 2nd Dynasty.
Traces of other such enclosures have also been found: one to the immediate west of Netjerikhet's complex and one apparently between Sekhemkhet's pyramid and the 'Great Enclosure'.
It has been suggested that these enclosures bear a striking resemblance to similar structures found near Umm el-Qa’ab. The largest of these enclosures, named Shunet ez-Zebib, has been identified as having belonged to Khasekhemwi. It is believed that this structure was intended as a simulacrum of the royal palace, a copy that the king would take with him to the hereafter. If indeed these palace-copies are similar to the Saqqara enclosures, then it is likely that the Saqqara enclosures were related to the 2nd Dynasty tombs which were located in the vicinity.
If the enclosures at Saqqara are indeed of 2nd Dynasty date and not, as was assumed in the past, of the 3rd Dynasty, then the ‘Great Enclosure’ is to be considered the oldest known building constructed, at least partially, in stone!

Shunet ez-Zebib at Abydos

Shunet ez-Zebib is the modern, Arabic name of a large mudbrick structure built during the reign of Khasekhemwi in the desert of Abydos, to the north of the Early Dynastic royal cemetery of Umm el-Qa’ab. It measures approximately 124 by 56 metres, and its outer walls are estimated to have been 10 to 11 metres high. There are traces of buildings inside the structure, possibly two chapels and benches, as well as a lot of jars that were meant to contain beer.
The proximity of this structure to the royal necropolis and the presence of similar but older structures in the vicinity, has lead researchers to interpret this building as a funerary enclosure, linked to the funerary cult of the deceased king.
The structure is also similar to a “fortress” in Nekhen, to the south, also built by Khasekhemwi, as well as the so-called Great Enclosure in Saqqara. As such, this enclosure and its likes, may have been the precursors of Netjerikhet’s funerary complex, that combined the tomb with the funerary enclosure.

Inside Shunet ez-Zebid. 

Tomb V at Umm el-Qa'ab

Khasekhemwi built his tomb at Umm el-Qa’ab, at some distance to the south of the tomb of Qa’a. His was the last royal tomb to have been built at this site, his successors favouring the Memphite region, in the North, just below the Nile Delta. This can be seen as move of Egypt’s central authority from the Abydene area to Memphis.

View on the tomb of Khasekhemwi at Umm el-Qa’ab. 

Map of tomb V at Umm el-Qa’ab.

The tomb was excavated by Petrie during his 1901 expedition at the site and named “Tomb V” by him.
Its trapezoid shape measuring 68.97 metres long by 10.04 metres on its shortest side and 17.06 metres on its longest side, makes it stand apart from the other royal tombs at Umm el-Qa’ab.
It consists of a centrally located burial room constructed of dressed limestone blocks. It is surrounded by several smaller, inter-connecting chambers with mudbrick walls, that were probably used for storage.
Unlike the other royal tombs at Umm el-Qa’ab, Khasekhemwi’s tomb has two entrances, one in the north, the other in the south.
Among the finds in this tomb are several ointment jars made of stone with a golden lid, a pitcher, a bronze basin and a 60 cm. long ceremonial sceptre made of highly polished beads, copper and gold. The delicate make of the sceptre suggests that it was intended for ritual purposes, perhaps, even, just to be buried along with the king. 

One of the golden rimmed stone ointment jars found in Khasekhemwi’s tomb, now in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.