Useribre Senebkay, also known alternatively as Seneb Kay, was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh during the Second Period Intermediate. His existence and reign have considerable importance in Egyptian history, in particular confirming the existence of an independent dynasty in Abydos, which was contemporary with the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Dynasties.
II. Evidence of his reign and the existence of the Abydos dynasty
Its presence is suggested in the Canon of Turin, a valuable document for Egyptologists because it lists a succession of Egyptian kings. In this canon, two kings bear the throne name “Weser…re”, although the names are only partially preserved. Moreover, another object reinforces this hypothesis: a magic wand found at Abydos bearing the name of Sebkay. Although it could be one or two kings of the 13th dynasty, the connection with Useribrê Senebkay remains plausible.
The idea of an Abydos dynasty, distinct from but contemporary with other dynasties, was first proposed by Egyptologist Detlef Franke, before being further explored by Kim Ryholt in 1997.
III. The major discovery of the tomb of Useribrê Senebkay
In 2014, a significant breakthrough was achieved with the discovery of the tomb of Useribrê Senebkay. Josef W. Wegner of the University of Pennsylvania and a team of Egyptian archaeologists unearthed this burial in the southern part ofAbydos, in Egypt. It is a major discovery that provided more solid confirmation of the existence of the dynasty ofAbydos.
The tomb, designated CS9, consists of four chambers, including a burial chamber decorated with limestone blocks. It should be noted that most of these blocks were salvaged and reused from ancient structures, such as the Idudju-iker Stele, a common practice in ancient Egypt.
IV. Artistic and decorative details of the tomb of Useribrê Senebkay
The decoration of the tomb of Useribrê Senebkay is rich in symbolism and representations of the religious beliefs of the time. On the east wall of the court, a painting represents the two eyes of Wadjet, powerful symbols of protection in ancient Egyptian religion. The goddesses Neith et Nout are represented on either side of this scene, while a winged solar disk hovers above.
On the north wall, there is a standing goddess whose name has unfortunately been erased over time. Short texts mentioning the deities Duamutef and Qebehsenuf are also present. In the center of the wall is the royal cartouche bearing the name of Senebkay. The south wall, meanwhile, is badly damaged, but we can still make out the remains of two goddesses and texts mentioning the deities Amset and Hapi.
The king's head was once decorated with a mummy mask. The texts record the pharaonic title of Useribre Senebkay, calling him "king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Useribre, the son of Ra, Senebkay”. Note that Senebkay's name was found inscribed inside a royal cartouche. Some of the funerary material, such as the wooden canopic box, was borrowed from older tombs. The remains of this canopic box were originally inscribed for a king Sobekhotep, probably from nearby tomb S10, now attributed to Sobekhotep IV.
V. End of life and death of Useribrê Senebkay
The tomb did not contain much grave goods, suggesting that it may have been looted in antiquity. Studies of the skeleton of Useribrê Senebkay indicate that he was around 1,78 meters tall and died between the ages of 35 and 40. Examination of the pharaoh's remains reveals that he was likely killed in battle. There are eighteen injuries to his bones, including lower back, feet and ankles. The cut angles suggest he was struck from below, possibly while in a chariot or on horseback. Once he fell to the ground, he was killed by several ax blows to the head. The curvature of the wounds on the skull indicates the use of battle axes typical of the Second Intermediate Period.
Thus, the life and death of Useribre Senebkay offers us a fascinating insight into ancient Egyptian history, and the discovery of his tomb has shed more light on the often-overlooked period of the Second Intermediate Period.
📋 LIST OF EGYPTIAN SOVEREIGNS 📋
Hotepsekhemwey / Sneferka / Nebra / ninetjer / Senedj / Noubnefer / Horus Ba / Peribsen / Sekhemib / Khasekhemwy / Neferkasokar / | |||
Djoser / Sanakht / Sekhemkhet / Spoon / Huni | |||
Sekhemre-Khutaouy Amenemhat-/Sobekhotep I/Sekhemkare Amenemhat-Senbef/Sekhemkare Amenemhat V/Ameny-Qemaou/Hotepibre Qémaou-Sa-Hornejhéritef/Ioufeni/Séânkhibrê Amény-Antef-Amenemhat (or Amenemhat VI)/Semenkarê Nebnoun/Sehotepibrê Sousekhtaouy | |||
Sekhaenre Yakbim/Nebuuserre Yaammou/Khauserre Qareh | |||
Semqen/Aper-Anat/Sakir-Har/Khyan/Apophis I/Apophis II?/Khamoudy | |||
/Sekhemre-Sementaouy Djehouty/Sekhemre-Sousertaouy Sobekhotep VIII | |||
Twenty-first dynasty | |||
Twenty-second dynasty | |||
Twenty-third dynasty | |||
Twenty-fourth dynasty | |||
1st Persian Dynasty | |||
Thirty-first dynasty (Achaemenid) | 2nd Persian Dynasty | ||