c.2890 BCE
2nd Dynasty of Egypt
c. 2890–2686 BCE
The 2nd Dynasty continued the Early Dynastic state through a period of consolidation. Royal burials moved between Saqqara and Abydos, and the balance between the gods Horus and Seth in royal titulary shifted, most visibly under Peribsen and Khasekhemwy.
The record is sparse and the order of the early kings is reconstructed from a few tombs, sealings and later king lists. Khasekhemwy, the last king, is usually seen as the ruler who reunified and stabilised the country before the 3rd Dynasty.
- Period
- Early Dynastic Period
- Dates
- c. 2890–2686 BCE
- Rulers profiled
- 7
Rulers of the 2nd Dynasty
Best-known rulers: Hotepsekhemwy; Nynetjer; Peribsen; Khasekhemwy. Every ruler profile in the archive for this dynasty, in the order used by the chronology. Each name links to a full profile with dates, background, sources and illustrations.
c.2865 BCE
c.2840 BCE
c.2810 BCE
c.2800 BCE
c.2760 BCE
c.2720–2686 BCE
Major monuments
- Abydos tombs and enclosures
- sealings
Key events
- Possible internal tensions are debated.
Reading the evidence
Seth and Horus imagery does not prove a simple civil war.
Sources: UCL Digital Egypt; Shaw (2000). See the full bibliography.