Hor

Fragmented ebony label of Hor Aha, with a reference to the shrine of the goddess Neith of Sais. Originally from Abydos, now in the British Museum 35518. (Donated by the Egyptian Exploration Fund in 1901) The label shows an official visit of Hor Aha to two of the most important shrines of the Western Delta. Four horizontal registers, three of them with historical character, make up the main face of the label, fragmented in its middle: In the 1st one, on the left, is the "serekh" the king himself as the personification of Horus Aha. This is a detail, which alone allows us to date the piece to the reign of this king. Facing Hor Aha, stood at the top, a sign "more" followed by a pole with the sign of the god Amiut (an archaic form of Osiris). Behind it, two sacred boats float on the sanctuary of the goddess Neith of Sais (lost here). In the 2nd record, here practically lost, guess on the far right, the structure of a famous chapel in the city of Buto, known by the texts under the name of "Db'wt". The 3rd record, still confused interpretation, presents a group of ships that are sandwiched between two walled cities. The first of these localities seems Sau (Sais), the religious center of the goddess Neith, while the second seems to be Pe (Buto), former center of worship of predynastic kings in the Delta. Finally the 4th record, is occupied by a text that appears to reveal the contents of the jar itself, which was originally attached this tag: "300 steps of ` Fragrance of Horus' " (an oil). Bibliography: Petrie, W.M.Flinders. 1901. The royal tombs of the first dynasty. Part II, Pl XI. Wilkinson, Toby A. H. 1999. Early Dynastic Egypt, p. 317-320.