Hemaka
Encyclopedia
Hemaka was an important official during the long reign of the First Dynasty
Egyptian pharaoh Den
.
One of his titles was that of "royal seal-bearer", effectively making him chancellor
and second in power only to the king.
The tomb of his chancellor Hemaka is larger than the king's own tomb, and for years was mistakenly thought of as belonging to Den. It was first excavated by Cecil Firth in 1931 and work was continued under the supervision of Walter Bryan Emery starting in 1936.
This tomb, located in the northern part of Saqqara
contained many grave goods
from this era, including an inlaid gaming disc and the earliest surviving piece of papyrus. The wealth of goods from this tomb as well as those of other officials from this time are thought to reflect the relative prosperity of Den's reign.
From inscriptions on pottery seals, Hemaka was also responsible for maintaining one of the royal domains of king Den, a farm or vineyard for express use of the royal family and later to support the king's funerary cult. It seems likely that he began his service to the king in this position, succeeding to governing other domains until he rose to the position of chancellor.
First dynasty of Egypt
The first dynasty of Ancient Egypt is often combined with the Dynasty II under the group title, Early Dynastic Period of Egypt...
Egyptian pharaoh Den
Den (Pharaoh)
Den, also known as Hor-Den, Dewen and Udimu, is the Horus name of an early Egyptian king who ruled during the 1st dynasty. He is the best archaeologically attested ruler of this period. Den is said to have brought prosperity to his realm and numerous innovations are attributed to his reign...
.
One of his titles was that of "royal seal-bearer", effectively making him chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
and second in power only to the king.
The tomb of his chancellor Hemaka is larger than the king's own tomb, and for years was mistakenly thought of as belonging to Den. It was first excavated by Cecil Firth in 1931 and work was continued under the supervision of Walter Bryan Emery starting in 1936.
This tomb, located in the northern part of Saqqara
Saqqara
Saqqara is a vast, ancient burial ground in Egypt, serving as the necropolis for the Ancient Egyptian capital, Memphis. Saqqara features numerous pyramids, including the world famous Step pyramid of Djoser, sometimes referred to as the Step Tomb due to its rectangular base, as well as a number of...
contained many grave goods
Grave goods
Grave goods, in archaeology and anthropology, are the items buried along with the body.They are usually personal possessions, supplies to smooth the deceased's journey into the afterlife or offerings to the gods. Grave goods are a type of votive deposit...
from this era, including an inlaid gaming disc and the earliest surviving piece of papyrus. The wealth of goods from this tomb as well as those of other officials from this time are thought to reflect the relative prosperity of Den's reign.
From inscriptions on pottery seals, Hemaka was also responsible for maintaining one of the royal domains of king Den, a farm or vineyard for express use of the royal family and later to support the king's funerary cult. It seems likely that he began his service to the king in this position, succeeding to governing other domains until he rose to the position of chancellor.