
05/05/2025
Around 3400 BC, ancient Egypt was divided into two kingdoms: the Lower Kingdom in the Nile Delta and the Upper Kingdom in the southern deserts. A powerful ruler known only as the Scorpion King emerged from the Upper Kingdom with the goal of uniting the two lands. His conquests were among the first events recorded using a primitive script that would later evolve into hieroglyphs.
Though he died before achieving full unification, the Scorpion King left a mysterious legacy. His name appears on what may be the oldest written artifact in human history—a stone relief—and a ceremonial mace-head bearing his image has been found. His likely tomb in Abydos held relics with some of Egypt’s earliest writing, but much of it was looted by ancient tomb raiders, leaving us with only fragments of a powerful, ancient life.