Coronation of the pharaoh
coronation extremely important ritual early ancient egyptian history concerning change power rulership two succeeding pharaoh accession throne celebrated several ceremony rite feast coronation feast one event rather long lasting process including several festival rite ceremony lasting full year reason egyptologist today describe year new pharaoh accessed power year coronation earliest depiction rite ceremony concerning accession throne may found object reign predynastic king scorpion ii circa bc time change ruler may marked war invasion neighboring egyptian protokingdoms similar military action taken enemy egypt later history example upon hearing news hatshepsuts death king kadesh advanced army megiddo hope thutmose iii would position respond king narmer founder st dynasty onwards war egyptian protokingdoms may replaced symbolic ceremony festival important source information accession throne coronation ceremony inscription palermo stone black basalt stone slab listing king st dynasty king neferirkare kakai third pharaoh th dynasty stone also record various event king reign creation statue city domain foundation cattle count religious feast sed festival stone also give exact date ruler accession throne first year ruler throne year coronation counted king regnal year count stone mention important ceremony took place year already mentioned coronation included several long lasting festival rite ceremony king celebrate first allowed wear crown egypt following describes important ceremony unification upper lower egypt unification upper lower egypt may connected traditional smiting enemy predynastic time ritual leader defeated realm struck dead ceremonial mace victorious king famous depiction ritual may seen ceremonial palette king narmer reverse palette mythological symbolic element added picture two serpopards leopard unusually elongated neck entwined neck may symbolize peaceful unification upper lower egypt another symbolic depiction unification feast appears throne relief dating reign king senusret second pharaoh th dynasty show deity horus seth wrapping papyrus haulm lotus haulm around trachea ending djed pillar act representing enduring unification two land senusret circumambulation white wall ceremony circumambulation white wall known inscription palermo stone according legend white wall egyptian inebu hedj today memphis erected mythical king menes central seat government egypt circumambulation wall memphis celebrated ritual procession around city performed strengthen king right throne claim city new seat power appearance king feast appearance king likewise known inscription palermo stone feast held immediately coronation confirmation king right rule end year coronation feast celebrated every second year much later egyptian source reveal feast comprised three step first appearance king upper egypt egyptian khajnisut came appearance king lower egypt egyptian khajbitj finally appearance king upper lower egypt khajnisutbitj earliest known mention feast date back king djoser first pharaoh rd dynasty sed feast one important feast ancient egypt linked king time throne sed festival hebsed included many complex ritual fully understood day seldom depicted first celebration feast held year coronation next celebration held th year pharaoh throne sed festival thus named ancient greek triakontaeteris meaning yearjubilee jubilee sed feast normally celebrated every third year although rule broken various pharaoh particular ramses ii celebrated total sed festival year throne early dynastic ruler least one sed feast archaeologically attested include narmer den qaa nynetjer possibly wadjenes rare depiction rite associated sed festival come old kingdom relief found gallery beneath djosers step pyramid saqqara well dashur dating reign sneferu founder th dynasty king simply claimed celebrated sed festival despite archaeological evidence proof rule year king include anedjib st dynasty akhenaten th dynasty sokar feast sokar festival – alongside sed festival – one oldest festival already mentioned predynastic artefact often mentioned ivory label belonging king scorpion ii narmer aha djer early form feast included creation ceremonial rowing boat cult image god sokar boat pulled king sacred lake nile another ritual erecting richly loaded djedpillar early time feast celebrated coronation attempt mark physical symbolic death predecessor nd dynasty onwards sokar feast repeated every sixth year fifth celebration coincided sed festival far known ceremony sokar feast connected well coronation new king foundation future tomb sokar god underworld one holy guardian royal cemetery suckling young king ceremony introduced th dynasty king pepy ii acceded throne aged suckling young king never performed practically rather represented small figurine depicting king naked toddler sitting lap goddess isi breastfed representation may created ostentate divine nature pharaoh king breastfed isi may inspired later christian artist create madonna child portrait later pharaonic picture show king young man breastfed holy imattree right throne egypt normally inherited direct filiation eldest son heir father occasionally throne inherited brother example djedefre khafre worth mentioning possible case peaceful throne succession via interfamiliar negotiation may happened end nynetjers rule possibly decided separate upper lower egypt may chosen two son time rule two land later example namely sahure neferirkare kakai may provide case dynastic problem two separate related royal house possible one sahures son shepseskare tried succeed nephew neferefre throne latter died unexpectedly likely created dynastic feud nyuserre ini son neferefre finally assumed throne month later throne could also obtained marriage case living heir woman may case sneferu khufu context egyptologist sue dauria rainer stadelmann silke roth point problem mostly ignored mainstream scholar demonstrably crown prince especially old kingdom period held highest imaginable honorary functionary title lifetime never became king despite fact definitively survived ruling father known crown prince include nefermaat rahotep reign snofru kawab khufukhafcrown prince khufu setka crown prince radjedef possibly kanefer famous vizir imhotep held office king djoser even entitled twin king djoser followed either sekhemkhet sanakht imhotep lead question exactly happened election next throne successor royal family allowed raise inheritance claim also remains unclear royal family permitted vote throne successor exact detail election process unknown never written thus contemporary document explains condition crown prince received inheritance right many crown prince never crowned rainer stadelmann point ancient society within egyptian elite existed early predynastic time great ten upper egyptlower egypt two society consisted altogether twenty elite official unknown origin possibly responsible solving political dynastic problem stadelmann explains known traditional office described mission function except office one great ten yet title seemed one regarded wanted official many honorary title bearing example hesyra reason stadelmann dauria believe great ten consisted kind royal court justice rolf gundlach andrea klug “der” ägyptische hof de neuen reich seine gesellschaft und kultur im spannungsfeld zwischen innen und außenpolitik akten de internationalen kolloquiums vom mai der johannes gutenberguniversität mainz vol königtum staat und gesellschaft früher hochkulturen harrassowitz wiesbaden isbn richard parker calendar ancient egypt study ancient oriental civilization vol issn university chicago press chicago il michael rice egypt making origin ancient egypt – bc psychology press isbn p