Merneith
| Merneith | |
|---|---|
| Meritneith, Meryt-Neith | |
Tomb stela of Merneith from the Umm el-Qa'ab.
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| Pharaoh | |
| Reign | ca. 2970 BC (1st Dynasty) |
| Coregency | Den |
| Predecessor | Djet |
| Successor | Den |
| Consort | Djet |
| Children | Den |
| Father | Djer |
| Burial | Tomb Y, Umm el-Qa'ab |
Merneith (also written Meritneith and Meryt-Neith) was a consort and a regent of Ancient Egypt during the first dynasty. She may have been a ruler of Egypt in her own right, based on several official records – if this was the case, she may have been the first female pharaoh and the earliest queen regnant in recorded history. Her rule occurred during the thirtieth century B.C., for an undetermined period. Merneith’s name means "Beloved by Neith" and her stela contains symbols of that deity. She may have been Djer's daughter, and was probably Djet's senior royal wife. The former meant that she would have been the great-granddaughter of unified Egypt's first Pharaoh, Narmer. She was also the mother of Den, her successor.
Merneith is linked in a variety of seal impressions and inscribed bowls with the kings Djer, Djet and Den. Merneith may have been the daughter of Djer, but there is no conclusive evidence. As the mother of Den, it is likely that Merneith was the wife of Djet. No information about the identity of her mother has been found.
A clay seal found in the tomb of her son, Den, was engraved with "King's Mother, Merneith". It also is known that Den’s father was Djet, making it thus likely, that Merneith was Djet’s royal wife.
Merneith is believed to have become ruler upon the death of Djet. The title she held, however, is debated. It is possible that her son Den was too young to rule when Djet died, so she may have ruled as regent until Den was old enough to be the king in his own right. Before her, Neithhotep is believed to have ruled in the same way after her husband King Narmer died, but whose son was too young to rule. Her name was written on a Naqada seal inside a serekh, which was the way the kings' names were written. This would mean Merneith may have actually been the second female in Egypt's first dynasty to have ruled as pharaoh.
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