What is a mace head in Egypt?

The Scorpion Macehead is an Ancient Egyptian ceremonial stone macehead. Ceremonial mace-heads are oversized versions of the small stone weapons that were typical grave goods during Egypt’s Predynastic Period. In Ancient Egypt, the mace was the symbolic weapon of Predynastic Egypt.

What is narmer Macehead made of?

The Narmer Macehead (back). The name of Narmer appears in the serekh at the top. The Narmer macehead is an ancient Egyptian decorative stone mace head. It was found in the “main deposit” in the temple area of the ancient Egyptian city of Nekhen (Hierakonpolis) by James Quibell in 1898.

Where is the scorpion Macehead?

Hierakonpolis
A highly fragmentary macehead bearing the name of a king ‘Scorpion’ was found during the archaeological survey of Hierakonpolis in 1897/98, along with the Narmer Palette and other objects dated to the very beginning of the Early Dynastic Period. It is now on display at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.

What is the purpose of a Serekh?

A serekh was normally used as a royal crest, accentuating and honouring the name of the pharaoh. Its use can be dated back as early as the Gerzeh culture (c. 3400 BC). The hieroglyphs forming the king’s name were placed inside a rectangular extension atop the serekh, which represented the royal courtyard.

What weapons did the Egyptian army use?

Old Kingdom soldiers were equipped with many types of weapons, including shields, spears, cudgels, maces, daggers, and bows and arrows. The most common Egyptian weapon was the bow and arrow. During the Old Kingdom, a single-arched bow was often used.

Who is Horus?

Horus, the falcon-headed god, is a familiar ancient Egyptian god. The falcon had been worshipped from earliest times as a cosmic deity whose body represents the heavens and whose eyes represent the sun and the moon. Horus is depicted as a falcon wearing a crown with a cobra or the Double Crown of Egypt.

What is a Serek?

A serekh was an ornamental vignette combining a view of a palace façade and a plan (top view) of the royal courtyard.

What was the Mace Head of King Scorpion?

Symbology in Ancient Egypt: The Mace-head of King “Scorpion”. When the Narmer Palette was unearthed in Nekhet, another symbolically significant artifact was unearthed along side. It has come to be known as the Mace-head of King Scorpion, a king of upper Egypt in the period prior to Narmer’s unification.

How big is the macehead of a scorpion?

It is now on display at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. Restored to full size, the limestone macehead is about 25 centimetres high. Its size and weight alone indicate that the purpose of this macehead was ceremonial rather than practical.

Who was the king of the Scorpions in Egypt?

Scorpion II, also known as King Scorpion, was a ruler during the Protodynastic Period of Upper Egypt (c. 3200–3000 BC). The only pictorial evidence of his existence is the Scorpion Macehead. The stratigraphy of this Macehead was lost due to the methods of its excavators.