Senedj

Senedj served as a monarch of the Second Dynasty during the Early Dynastic Period, holding power for about ten years, from around 2745 BC to 2735 BC, with chronology uncertain by approximately fifty years. Based at Memphis, he succeeded Weneg during an obscure chapter of Egyptian history, before being succeeded by Peribsen.

Evidence for direct historical events under Senedj is virtually non-existent. Egypt during this phase may have experienced political fragmentation between the north and south, though clear administrative links between Memphis and the provinces still endured. His burial place has never been positively identified, though it was likely situated at Saqqara, and no mummy has ever been found.

Scholars know Senedj mainly through later retrospective sources and inscriptions. A prominent piece of contemporary evidence comes from the Fourth Dynasty tomb of the priest Shery at Saqqara, whose false door describes the mortuary cult dedicated to Senedj, proving that his memory was officially venerated centuries later.

Monuments

• False door of Shery (Saqqara)

Explore further

Try the name on the Cartouche Desk, or see where the reign falls on the timeline.