Scorpion King

Scorpion King

Very little is actually known about the Pre-Dynastic King called Scorpion, in 1897-98 J E Quibell found a fragmented and incomplete macehead attributed to King Scorpion. It was found in the Upper Egyptian town of Nekhen (The Falcon), which was significant to the earliest days of the unification of Egypt.

Maceheads were, even at this early stage, considered to be symbolic of Kingly power, and throughout Egypttian history, the Pharaohs were shown in relief carvings weilding the mace as he smote the enemies of Egypt.

This macehead depicts a King or Chieftain wearing the White Crown of Upper Egypt in full ritual dress, with the bull’s tail representing power, hanging from the back of his belt. The multi-petalled rosette or star at this time was used to identify Egyptian kings and in fact, in neighboring Sumer, signified divinity itself. It is shown in front of his face, along with a clearly drawn scorpion sign, thereby giving his name as indicated earlier to be Srqt, or Scorpion. In another convention of Egyptian art, this kingly, perhaps quasi-divine, figure is drawn towering over his companions and attendants.

King Scorpion is accompanied by his high officers, who carry standards on which are displayed symbols identified with particular districts into which Egypt was divided. Many of these district symbols are familiar throughout Egypt’s history. Two of these interestingly enough are Set animals, showing that at this very early time Followers of Set supported the royal clan; others represent falcons, a jackal, the god Min, and possibly the mountains.

On this macehead, Scorpion is apparently performing a ceremony using a hoe. Perhaps he is opening the irrigation dykes to begin the flooding of the fields, or perhaps he is cutting the first furrow for a temple or even a city to be built, thus beginning a foundation ritual which was a kingly prerogative in Egypt.

The decorative frieze around the remaining top of the macehead has lapwing birds hanging by their necks from vertical standards. In hieroglyphics these rekhyts have been interpreted to represent the common people of Egypt, and their fate seems to indicate that they were conquered by King Scorpion.

It has been suggested that the missing part of the macehead, may have shown the King Scorpion wearing the Red Crown of Lower Egypt, signifying that he untied the lands of Egypt prior to King Narmer.

Nubia
Nubia, the "Land of the Bow," because of the fame of Nubian archers. Throughout history, pictures and drawings of Nubian gods, kings, and warriors show them holding bows. In graves of Nubian men, archaeologists often find their skeletons holding bows and lying beside quivers of arrows.

Nubia was an important source of gold, incense, ebony, ivory, and exotic animals from tropical Africa.

Examples of Scorpion King Artefacts

Top: Scorpion Macehead
Middle: Line Drawing