Egypt: Was There Really a Female King in Ancient Egypt 5,000 Years Ago? New Study Says Yes

What the report says

A new analysis republished by AllAfrica says fresh digital examination of a long-lost hieroglyphic inscription strengthens the case that Meretneith, also written Merneith, may have ruled ancient Egypt as a female king more than 5,000 years ago. The article, authored by Susan Kelly of Macquarie University and published in The Conversation Africa, focuses on a disputed artefact linked to the First Dynasty, when Egypt was newly unified under its earliest kings.

The study revisits a black-and-white photo of a mud stopper found in Saqqara in the 1940s. Researchers used image-processing methods to clarify the hieroglyphs and argue that signs in the inscription are consistent with Meretneith’s name. That, they say, supports the idea that she held the royal serekh used by rulers of the period. The piece notes that the original object is missing and that earlier scholars disagreed over whether the photo could truly identify her as an independent ruler.

The report places this finding alongside other evidence already associated with Meretneith, including a lavish tomb complex, seal impressions and administrative inscriptions. It says she may have first served as co-regent and later held other governing roles, though the full course of her career remains uncertain. If accepted, the research would make her one of the earliest known women to occupy Egypt’s highest political position.