Saqqara Tablet Facts for Kids

The Saqqara Tablet is stone from Ancient Egypt. On it is written a list of Egyptian pharaohs from the New Kingdom. It was found in a tomb at Saqqara in 1861. The tomb belonged to Tjenry (or Tjuneroy), an official of the pharaoh Ramesses II. He was a priest and "Overseer of Works on All Royal Monuments". The stone is now in the Egyptian Museum.

The list names 58 kings, from Anedjib and Qa'a in the First Dynasty to Ramesses II in the Nineteenth Dynasty. The list is in reverse chronological order. It leaves out names of "rulers from the Second Intermediate Period, the Hyksos, and those rulers... who had been close to the heretic Akhenaten".

Each name is surrounded by a border known as a cartouche). The stone is badly damaged, and only 47 names have survived. There are mistakes in the list. For example, it only mentions four kings of the Third Dynasty. The order is correct only for the kings of the Twelfth Dynasty. The only known photograph of the king list was published in 1865.

Drawing of the Saqqara King List based on photographs and drawings from 1864-65.

Kings in the list

The names are listed in reverse chronological order from the upper right to the bottom left, as they were meant to be read.

Upper row			Bottom row
No.	Pharaoh	Name written in the list	No.	Pharaoh	Name written in the list
1	Ramses II	User-maat-ra Setep-en-ra	30	Neferefre	Kha-nefer-ra
2	Seti I	Men-maat-ra	31	Shepseskare	Shepses-ka-ra
3	Ramses I	Men-pehty-ra	32	Neferirkare Kakai	Nefer-ir-ka-ra
4	Horemheb	Djeser-kheperu-ra Setep-en-ra	33	Sahure	Sahura
5	Amenhotep III	Neb-maat-ra	34	Userkaf	User-ka-f
6	Thutmose IV	Men-kheperu-ra	35	Thamphthis?	Name destroyed.
7	Amenhotep II	Aa-kheperu-ra	36	Bicheris?	Name destroyed.
8	Thutmose III	Men-kheper-ra	37	Djedefptah	Name destroyed.
9	Thutmose II	Aa-kheper-en-ra	38	Shepseskaf	Name destroyed.
10	Thutmose I	Aa-kheper-ka-ra	39	Menkaura	Name destroyed.
11	Amenhotep I	Djeser-ka-ra	40	Khafra	Kha-f-ra
12	Ahmose I	Neb-pehti-ra	41	Djedefra	Djed-ef-re
13	Mentuhotep II	Nebhepetre	42	Khufu	Khufu
14	Mentuhotep III	Se-ankh-ka-ra	43	Sneferu	Sneferu
15	Amenemhat I	Se-hetep-ib-ra	44	Huni	Huni
16	Senusret I	Kheper-ka-ra	45	Khaba	Neb-ka-ra
17	Amenemhat II	Nub-kau-ra	46	Sekhemkhet	Djoser-teti
18	Senusret II	Kha-kheper-ra	47	Djoser	Djoser
19	Senusret III	Kha-khau-ra	48	Khasekhemwy	Beby
20	Amenemhat III	Ni-maat-ra	49	Hudjefa	"Name missing"
21	Amenemhat IV	Maat-kheru-ra	50	Sekhemib-Perenmaat?	Nefer-ka-sokar
22	Sobekneferu	Sobek-ka-ra	51	Seth-Peribsen?	Nefer-ka-ra
23	Pepi II Neferkare	Nefer-ka-ra	52	Senedj	Senedj
24	Merenre Nemtyemsaf I	Mer-en-ra	53	Wneg	Wadjlas
25	Pepi I Meryre	Pepi	54	Nynetjer	Ba-netjeru
26	Teti	Teti	55	Raneb	Kakau
27	Unas	Unis	56	Hotepsekhemwy	Bau-netjer
28	Djedkare	Maat-ka-ra	57	Qa'a	Qe-behu
29	Menkauhor	Men-kau-hor	58	Anedjib	Merbapen

Other New Kingdom royal lists

Auguste Mariette: La table de Saqqarah in Revue Archeologique Vol 10, Paris 1864, p. 168-186, Pl. 17
Emmanuel de Rougé: Album photographique de la mission remplie en Égypte, Paris 1865, Photographs, No. 143-145
Auguste Mariette: Monuments divers recueillis en Égypte et en Nubie (Tables), Paris 1872, Vol. II, Pl. 58
Eduard Meyer: Ägyptische Chronologie, Pl. 1, (Berlin 1904)

Saqqara Tablet facts for kids

Kings in the list

Other New Kingdom royal lists

See also