…the scenes shown on the Narmer Palette, where Narmer (better known as Menes), probably the last ruler of predynastic Egypt, is depicted as the triumphant ruler. The Narmer Palette is a stone tablet inscribed with hieroglyphs and images. Material. [4] [12] The serekh on each side are flanked by a pair of bovine heads with highly curved horns, thought to represent the cow goddess Bat. Discovered among a group of sacred implements ritually buried in a deposit within an early temple of the falcon god Horus at the site of Hierakonpolis (the capital of Egypt during the pre-dynastic period), this large ceremonial object is one of the most important artifacts from the dawn of Egyptian civilization. The Narmer Palette Discovered in 1897 or 1898 by British archaeologists James E. Quibell and Frederick W. Green, the Narmer Palette or Narmer's Victory Palette or the Great Hierakonpolis Palette is a 63 centimetres tall (2.07 ft), shield-shaped, ceremonial palette, carved from a single piece of flat, soft dark grey-green siltstone. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. A large picture in the center of the Palette depicts Narmer wielding a mace wearing the White Crown of Upper Egypt (whose symbol was the flowering lotus). The Narmer palette is a finely decorated plate of schist of about 64 cm high. The Palette of Narmer tells a vast political story of the history of Egypt and the king, King Narmer. The palette presents a historical narrative of battle of early unification of upper and Lower Egypt under one king. Above them are the symbols for a ship, a falcon, and a harpoon, which has been interpreted as representing the names of the towns that were conquered. The reverse side of the palette is more complicated. A statue of the 2nd dynasty pharaoh Khasekhemwy, found in the same complex as the Narmer Palette at Hierakonpolis, also was made of this material. The Narmer Palette depicts the unification of the two lands of Upper and Lower Egypt by King Narmer who is represented wearing both Egyptian crowns. Narmer Palette is on Facebook. As on the other side, two human-faced bovine heads, thought to represent the patron cow goddess Bat, flank the serekhs. It also acts as a perfect example of the primitive artistic design of the 31st century BC. The Narmer Palette, also known as the Great Hierakonpolis Palette or the Palette of Narmer, is a significant Egyptian archeological find, dating from about the 31st century BC, containing some of the earliest hieroglyphic inscriptions ever found. Attached to the belt worn by Narmer are four beaded tassels, each capped with an ornament in the shape of the head of the goddess Hathor. The Palette […] The Narmer Palette is featured in the 2009 film Watchmen. with relief carvings on both sides. [7] Nekhen, or Hierakonpolis, was one of four power centers in Upper Egypt that preceded the consolidation of Upper Egypt at the end of the Naqada III period. To the right of the king is a kneeling prisoner, who is about to be struck by the king. The Narmer Palette is one of the most famous artefacts of Ancient Egypt. It is associated with the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt. Before him a priest marches with a procession. Palette of Narmer Description From the beginning of the Egyptian civilization an exceptional piece of art stands out, both for its quality, its meaning and its state of conservation: it is the Palette of Narmer, which dates from the predynastic period (3200 to 2755 BC.) [11] It has the Journal d'Entrée number JE32169 and the Catalogue Général number CG14716. 3) The relationship between the Sun God and King Narmer. The Narmer Palette, Egypt, c. 3100 BCE. A ceremonial object, ritually buried. The tablet is thought by some to depict the unification of Upper and Lower … The Narmer Catalog is a comprehensive database, gathering in one convenient location all available information about archaeological objects with inscriptions related to Narmer, the first king of Ancient Egypt.The Catalog includes 114 inscriptions, from 30 different sites in Egypt, the Sinai, and southern Canaan.. This one Ancient Egyptian artifact could sustain considerable analysis and discussion in class. Narmer is depicted at nearly the full height of the register, emphasizing his god-like status in an artistic practice called hierarchic scale, shown wearing the Red Crown of Lower Egypt, whose symbol was the papyrus. The Narmer Palette (also known as Narmer's Victory Palette and the Great Hierakonpolis Palette) is an engraving, in the shape of a chevron shield, a little over two-feet (64 cm) tall, depicting Narmer conquering his enemies and uniting Upper and Lower Egypt. The inscribed slab depicts a king identified as Narmer conquering his enemies and subjugating the land. The Narmer Palette, also known as the Great Hierakonpolis Palette or the Palette of Narmer, is a significant Egyptian archeological find, dating from about the 31st century BC, belonging, at least nominally, to the category of cosmetic palettes. The tablet is thought by some to depict the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the king Narmer. Slate Narmer Palette, from Hierakonpolis, just prior to 1st dynasty, c. 2925 bc. The tablet depicts the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under King Narmer and provides one of the earliest known depictions of an Egyptian king. It was found in the “main deposit” of the temple of Nekhen (Hierakonpolis) by Quibell and Green in the 1890s, along with (among other things) the Narmer Macehead and the Scorpion Macehead. Egypt art: Narmer palette. The Palette of Narmer was created on a flat stone surface; the artists then carved the story into the flat stone in a very specific manor. The Narmer Palette is 64 centimeters (25 inches) long, and its shield shape is the same as that used for the domestic tool called a palette, which was used to hold cosmetics. (Egyptian Museum, Cairo) Immediately in front of the pharaoh is a long-haired man, accompanied by a pair of hieroglyphs that have been interpreted as his name: Tshet (this assumes that these symbols had the same phonetic value used in later hieroglyphic writing). The siltstone is a soft yet dim color of gray. The Narmer palette is located in the magical egyptian museum in Cairo where anyone can get the chance to explore its incredible beauty and witness all the historical artifacts in the magical cities cairo, alexandria, luxor, and aswan through our egypt private tours. It features some of … The Narmer Palette, slate, Hierakonpolis, beginning of the 1st dynasty, c. 2925 bce; in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo.Shown here is the palette's reverse side, with a victory motif: King Narmer, wearing the crown of Upper Egypt, strikes down an enemy he holds by the hair. Below the king's feet is a third section, depicting two naked, bearded men. He holds a mace and a flail, two traditional symbols of kingship. One theory is that it was used to grind cosmetics to adorn the statues of the deities.[10]. The Narmer Palette is a 63-centimetre-tall (2.07 ft), shield-shaped, ceremonial palette, carved from a single piece of flat, soft dark gray-green siltstone. [2], The Palette, which has survived five millennia in almost perfect condition, was discovered by British archeologists James E. Quibell and Frederick W. Green, in what they called the Main Deposit in the Temple of Horus at Nekhen, during the dig season of 1897–98. Behind him is his sandal-bearer, whose name may be represented by the rosette appearing adjacent to his head, and a second rectangular symbol that has no clear interpretation, but which has been suggested may represent a town or citadel.[16]. The goddess Bat is, as she often was, shown in portrait, rather than in profile as is traditional in Egyptian relief carving. Narmer Palette The Narmer Palette is a significant Egyptian archaeological find, dating from about the 31st century BC. - There are a number of formal and iconographic characteristics appearing on the Narmer Palette that remain conventional in Egyptian two-dimensional art for the following three millennia Start studying The Palette of Narmer. It was found in a deposit in Hierakonpolis, a Predynastic capital located in the South of Egypt, during the … Hathor, who shared many of Bat's characteristics, is often depicted in a similar manner. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. A pair of symbols appear next to his head perhaps indicating his name (Wash) or indicating the region where he was from. "Narmer palette, once considered one of the key sources attesting the 'Unification' of Upper and Lower Egypt by this king, is now almost completely dismissed as a proof for such an event, and tendentially removed from discussions about Unification. It is the significance of a region as the ship-harpoon-falcon indicates. See more. The king is depicted as the conqueror of lands and the master of his vanquished enemies. On one side, the king is depicted with the bulbed White Crownof Upper (southern) Egypt, and th… The Narmer Palette, also known as the Great Hierakonpolis Palette or the Palette of Narmer, is a significant Egyptian archaeological find; dating from about the 31st century BC, it contains some of the earliest hieroglyphic inscriptions ever found. The Narmer Palette is a 63-centimetre-tall (2.07 ft), shield-shaped, ceremonial palette, carved from a single piece of flat, soft dark gray-green siltstone. The Narmer Palette, or Great Hierakonpolis Palette, is a significant Egyptian archeological find, dating from about 3200 BC, containing some of the earliest hieroglyphic inscriptions ever found, and depicting the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under Narmer who is not mentioned by Manetho nor in the Turin King List or the Palermo stone. It also acts as a perfect example of the primitive artistic design of the 31st century BC. [21] More recently, scholars such as Nicholas Millet have argued that the Palette does not represent a historical event (such as the unification of Egypt), but instead represents the events of the year in which the object was dedicated to the temple. [1] The Egyptologist Bob Brier has referred to the Narmer Palette as "the first historical document in the world". Then, Narmer, followed by his sandal bearer, is now seen in the pharaonic Red Crown of Lower Egypt (called “deshret”). Palettes were typically used for grinding cosmetics, but this palette is too large and heavy (and elaborate) to have been created for personal use and was probably a ritual or votive object, specifically made for donation to, or use in, a temple. The Narmer Palette is a two-sided carved stone tablet that depicts Pharaoh Narmer’s accomplishments. Image of Narmer from the Narmer Palette. Anatomy of a Civilization (London, 1989), fig. Along with the Scorpion Macehead and the Narmer Maceheads, also found together in the Main Deposit at Nekhen, the Narmer Palette provides one of the earliest known depictions of an Egyptian king. [9] J. Kelder, Narmer, Scorpion and the Representation of the Early Egyptian Court, Origini 35, 2013, 143-156 [Link: PDF on Academia.edu] S. Hendrickx, Narmer Palette Bibliography, in "The Narmer Catalog" (website by T. Heagy) - PDF (latest references y. [8] Hierakonpolis's religious importance continued long after its political role had declined. Thought to be the successor to the Protodynastic pharaohs Scorpion (or Selk) and/or Ka, he is considered by some to be the unifier of Egypt and founder of the First Dynasty, and therefore the first pharaoh of all Egypt.. The Narmer Palette is a ceremonial engraving depicting the first dynasty king Narmer (Menes) defeating his enemies and uniting Upper and Lower Egypt into one kingdom. [22] John Baines has suggested that the events portrayed are "tokens of royal achievement" from the past and that "the chief purpose of the piece is not to record an event but to assert that the king dominates the ordered world in the name of the gods and has defeated internal, and especially external, forces of disorder".[23]. It is thought by some to depict the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the king Narmer. The palette of Narmer is a highly significant artefact when looking at ancient Egyptian history, and is dated as the final century of the fourth millennium BC (Naqada 3), during the reign of King Narmer. Palette of King Narmer, from Hierakonpolis, Egypt, Predynastic, c. 3000-2920 B.C.E., slate, 2' 1" high (Egyptian Museum, Cairo), greyish-green siltstone Pre-dynasty The Narmer Palette expresses the idea that king was a unifier, and it is the first artwork that depicts an actual event. This object is a ceremonial palette used in the ritual of mixing and applying the King's eye makeup. Narmer was originally the ruler of Upper Egypt and later took control over Lower Egypt, either peacefully or through conquest. Created entirely from one piece of dark green slate it is now housed in the Cairo Museum.. Palette Contents. The Palette is also featured in The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan where the palette is fetched by a magical shawabti servant. It contains some of the earliest hieroglyphic inscriptions ever found. The shield-like palette was made from a material called greenschist, and depicts a king identified as Narmer, but is possibly the ruler Menes, who was celebrated for uniting the lands of Egypt under his rule. The Narmer Palette is considered to be more than an artifact but an actual piece of history, it's the first historical document in the world. At the top of both sides are the central serekhs bearing the rebus symbols n'r (catfish) and mr (chisel) inside, being the phonetic representation of Narmer's name. [13] This material was used extensively during the pre-dynastic period for creating such palettes and also was used as a source for Old Kingdom statuary. It had been thought that the Palette either depicted the unification of Lower Egypt by the king of Upper Egypt, or recorded a recent military success over the Libyans,[20] or the last stronghold of a Lower Egyptian dynasty based in Buto. The Narmer Palette, also known as the Great Hierakonpolis Palette or the Palette of Narmer, is a significant Egyptian archeological find, dating from about the 31st century BC, belonging, at least nominally, to the category of cosmetic palettes.It contains some of the earliest hieroglyphic inscriptions ever found. Narmer Palette ca. The famous Narmer Palette, discovered by James E. 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