Khaba
| Khaba | |
|---|---|
| Hudjefa II.?, Sedjes?, Huni? | |
Serekh of Khaba on a stone bowl of unknown provenance, Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UC 15800.
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| Pharaoh | |
| Reign | duration unknown; ca. 2670 BC(Later 3rd Dynasty) |
| Predecessor | Sekhemkhet or Sanakht |
| Successor | Huni (if not identical to him), Sanakht, Qahedjet |
| Burial | Layer Pyramid at Zawyet el'Aryan |
| Monuments | Layer Pyramid |
Khaba (also read as Hor-Khaba) was a pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, active during the 3rd dynasty of the Old Kingdom period. The exact time during which Khaba ruled is unknown but may have been around 2670 BC.
King Khaba is considered to be difficult to assess as a figure of ancient Egypt. His name is archaeologically well-attested by stone bowls and mud seal impressions. Khaba's reign is securely dated to the Third Dynasty. Because of the contradictions within Ramesside king lists and the lack of contemporary, festive inscriptions, his exact chronological position within the dynasty remains disputed. These problems originate in part from contradictory king lists, which were all compiled long after Khaba's death, especially during the Ramesside era. It is also a matter of debate as to where Khaba might have been buried. Many Egyptologists and archaeologists propose that an unfinished step pyramid at Zawyet el'Aryan, known as the Layer Pyramid, belongs to him. Others believe instead that his tomb is a large mastaba close to the Layer Pyramid, where numerous stone vessels bearing Khaba's serekh have been found.
Khaba's name appears on nine polished stone bowls, variously made of magnesite, travertine, and diorite, which were found at the archaeological locales of Zawyet el'Aryan, Abusir, and Naga-ed-Deir. The bowls were found mostly intact; they show only the king's serekh name on their polished surfaces. As was conventional at the time they were made, they contain no additional inscriptions for context.
His name also appears on several mud seal impressions found at Quesna (in the Delta), Zawyet el'Aryan, Hierakonpolis, and Elephantine. Most of the mud seals were excavated at modern-day Elephantine; it is possible that more of them lie under the garden of the current museum of Elephantine. These seal impressions bear more inscriptions than the stone bowls, however most of the seals are only preserved as small fragments and their surfaces have been roughened over the years.
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Wikipedia