Narmer and the Unification of Egypt
Hierakonpolis (Nekhen), Upper Egypt, where the Narmer Palette was found
What happened
More than 5,000 years ago, a king named Narmer is shown on a carved stone palette wearing the crown of Upper Egypt on one side and the crown of Lower Egypt on the other. It is the first preserved example where both crowns are worn by the same ruler.
Why it matters
Many historians see the palette as a sign that Egypt was becoming one kingdom. Others think its scenes were ceremonial and not a record of real events, so the exact story is still debated.
What came next
The palette was found by the archaeologists James Quibell and Frederick Green in 1898 at Hierakonpolis. Today it is in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
Did you know?
The Narmer Palette is so valuable that it has never been allowed to leave Egypt, unlike the gold mask of Tutankhamun.
Timeline
- c. 3000 BCENarmer is shown wearing both crowns.
- 1898The palette is found at Hierakonpolis.
- TodayIt is kept in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo.