Scientists confirmed the existence of Egypt’s first female ruler, who reigned before the Giza pyramids were built
Kyiv • UNN
The digital restoration of seals confirmed that Merneith was Egypt’s full-fledged ruler. She reigned for about 30 years before the Giza pyramids.
Scientists have found new evidence that Merneith, who lived more than 5,000 years ago, was a full-fledged ruler of Ancient Egypt, rather than merely a regent. The discovery was made through the digital restoration of old photographs of royal seals, LRT reports, citing IFLScience, writes UNN.
Details
Merneith lived during the First Dynasty, long before the construction of the famous pyramids of Giza. Her tomb was discovered as early as 1900, but the woman’s status remained a subject of debate for a long time.
In 1946, archaeologists found 13 seals bearing royal symbols; however, the originals were later lost, and the surviving photographs were not clear enough for definitive conclusions.
How Merneith’s status was confirmed
Researchers digitally restored the archival images and were able to decipher the hieroglyphs. It turned out that some of the seals contained Merneith’s name together with the "serekh" symbol, which was used to denote royal authority.
According to the study’s authors, this confirms her status as a ruler, although she may have assumed and relinquished the throne several times.
Merneith is believed to have ruled for about 30 years. After her death, she was buried in a lavish royal tomb, similar to the burial sites of the male rulers of that time.