{
  "id": 11978996,
  "title": "Was There Really a Female King in Ancient Egypt 5,000 Years Ago?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/04/was-there-really-a-female-king-in-ancient-egypt-5-000-years-ago",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-04T18:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Nautilus",
    "slug": "nautilus",
    "url": "https://nautil.us/was-there-really-a-female-king-in-ancient-egypt-5000-years-ago-1285520/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Around 5,000 years ago in ancient Egypt, a royal woman named Meretneith—also spelled Merneith—existed. She might have been the daughter of Djer, the third ruler of the First Dynasty. The specifics of her royal position have been unclear, but her tomb was adorned with treasures usually reserved for male rulers, suggesting she might have served as an interim or co-regent. However, her status as an independent ruler has been a topic of debate among Egyptologists. New research, published in Prague Egyptological Studies, may provide a resolution to this dispute. Using a digital technique, researchers analyzed hieroglyphs in a photograph of a mud stopper—an ancient artifact used for sealing pottery jars—thought to belong to Meretneith. The inscription, originally found in the 1940s in Saqqara, Egypt, depicts four royal signs: two belong to Djer, while two others belong to Meretneith. Despite initial skepticism due to the poor quality of early photographs, a new digital method has helped clarify the signs, suggesting that Meretneith held the same rank as male rulers. This discovery implies she was a female king during the First Dynasty, marking her as one of the earliest recorded female rulers in ancient Egypt. While her reign lasted at least 30 years, the exact nature of her political roles remains a puzzle. Her career may be divided into various stages based on evidence such as her lavish tomb, administrative inscriptions, and seals, indicating she often acted as a regent or managed the treasury and officials.",
  "summary": "A new study says yes The post Was There Really a Female King in Ancient Egypt 5,000 Years Ago? appeared first on Nautilus .",
  "key_points": [
    "Meretneith, also Merneith, lived 5,000 years ago in ancient Egypt.",
    "Digital analysis of mud stopper artifact confirms her co-regency rank.",
    "Meretneith is considered earliest recorded female ruler in ancient Egypt."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}