A Woman Ruled Ancient Egypt as King 5,000 Years Ago, Research Claims
More than 5,000 years ago, a royal woman called Meretneith (also written as Merneith) lived in ancient Egypt. She was possibly the daughter of Djer, the third king of the First Dynasty, a period when the first kings ruled over a unified Egypt. Details over Meretneith’s exact royal status have remained murky.
- ▪More than 5,000 years ago, a royal woman called Meretneith (also written as Merneith) lived in ancient Egypt.
- ▪She was possibly the daughter of Djer, the third king of the First Dynasty, a period when the first kings ruled over a unified Egypt.
- ▪Details over Meretneith’s exact royal status have remained murky.
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| Original publisher | Gizmodo |
| Canonical URL | https://gizmodo.com/a-woman-ruled-ancient-egypt-as-king-5000-years-ago-research-claims-2000812520 |
| Publication time | Wed, 16 Sep 2026 14:45:57 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-09-16T14:48:41.493Z |
| Last seen | 2026-09-16T14:48:41.493Z |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
More than 5,000 years ago, a royal woman called Meretneith (also written as Merneith) lived in ancient Egypt. She was possibly the daughter of Djer, the third king of the First Dynasty, a period when the first kings ruled over a unified Egypt. Details over Meretneith’s exact royal status have remained murky. We know she ruled the country because her tomb complex was filled with riches fit for a male ruler of Egypt. At the very least, she was an interim ruler or co-regent. But did she ever rule Egypt in her own right? Egyptologists have long disputed whether Meretneith was an independent ruler of Egypt. Resolving that dispute would require finding a text that identifies her as a ruler. Our new research, published in the journal Prague Egyptological Studies, might do just that.
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