Illustrative model — an approximation, not a scan of the original object.
c. 2950 BCE
Ivory Label of King Den
First Dynasty, reign of Den.
- Material
- Ivory
- Dimensions
- c. 4.5 × 5.3 cm
- Findspot
- Abydos, probably from Den’s tomb at Umm el-Qa’ab
- Discovery
- Acquired by the British Museum in 1922 with the collection of the Rev. William MacGregor, hence its other name, the MacGregor plaque.
- Held by
- The British Museum, London
- Inventory number
- EA 55586
A small label with a pair of sandals incised on its back, so it was probably tied to a pair of the king’s sandals. The front shows the king striking a kneeling enemy with a mace; the accompanying text is usually read "the first occasion of smiting the East".
Years were named after notable events like this, so the label records the name of a year as much as it depicts an event.
First Dynasty labels, including this one, carry year names taken from notable events.
- Toby A. H. Wilkinson (1999) “Early Dynastic Egypt” Routledge
- The British Museum, London “Ivory label of King Den, EA 55586” britishmuseum.org
The reading "first occasion of smiting the East" is widely accepted, but readings of such early signs remain approximate.
Scholarly note: Whether the scene shows a specific campaign or a conventional royal image is unclear.
- Toby A. H. Wilkinson (1999) “Early Dynastic Egypt” Routledge
- John Baines (2004) “The earliest Egyptian writing: development, context, purpose” S. D. Houston (ed.), The First Writing: Script Invention as History and Process. Cambridge University Press