Who Was King Menes? Mystery Of This Legendary Ruler May Go Back 20,000 Years
A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - The first Pharaoh in Egyptian recorded history was Menes-Narmer and his reign marks the beginning of human civilization.
As recorded on the Palermo Stone, there was a civilization prior to the present one that dated back about twenty and thirty thousand years. Our civilization was born from the destruction of the previous one. This civilization is referred to as a “lost” one.
In 1902, renowned art historian Heinrich Schafer published the first information regarding the Palermo Stone, the most important feature of which is the listing of rulers that predate Menes, the first “official” ruler of Egypt. This goes back thousands of years into the pre-dynastic period, and into what John Anthony West referred to as the Zep Tepi.

Palermo Stone - Cairo Fragment CF1 lists, among others, the start of the reign of Horus Djer. Credits: ancient-egypt.org
The reign of Menes-Narmer was chosen as the starting point because that is as far back as we can trace to the beginning of human civilization, but the identity of Pharaoh Menes-Narmer is a very complex subject.
Who Unified Upper And Lower Egypt?
No doubt, the most important event in history of ancient Egypt was the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under one rule. However, the identity of the first ruler responsible for the unification of Egypt has long been shrouded in mystery.
This is a preview of our premium article available only to members of Ancient Pages.
Become a member to read more.
If you are already a member and have logged in to your account, you can access the article here
More From Ancient Pages
-
Ancient Greek Goddesses Aphrodite And Artemis – Rivalry And Conflict Over Prestige Illustrated In Hippolytus By Euripides
Featured Stories | Jun 13, 2018 -
Bellerophon: Great Hero Of Homer’s Iliad Who Was Punished By Gods For His Pride And Arrogance
Featured Stories | Jul 13, 2021 -
Mysterious Ancient European Cloaked Individuals – Who Were These Perplexing Beings?
Featured Stories | Mar 15, 2025 -
Ancient Mysteries Of Japan – Remarkable Story Of An Unknown Civilization And Lost Knowledge – Part 2
Ancient Mysteries | Sep 2, 2019 -
Unexplained Encounters With A Mysterious Being In South Dakota Reported – Why Is This Happening?
Featured Stories | Jul 9, 2024 -
Why Did King Solomon Hide Advanced Technology In A Secret Place? – The Great Deception – Part 2
Ancient Mysteries | Apr 3, 2021 -
Controversial Theory Suggests Atlantis Was In Scandinavia – Surprising Evidence Presented By Ancient Writer
Ancient Mysteries | Sep 5, 2018 -
How Many Ice Ages Has The Earth Had, And Could Humans Live Through One?
Featured Stories | Sep 26, 2022 -
Viking Site L’Anse Aux Meadows Confirms Norse Vinland Sagas Were Based On Real Events
Featured Stories | Dec 11, 2025 -
Strzyga (Strix): Slavic Malevolent Winged Female Demon With Two Souls That Usually Haunts Churches, Towers, Barns
Featured Stories | Aug 9, 2019 -
Mysterious Mythical Tree Connected To Strange Islands Found By Ancient Explorers
Featured Stories | Apr 13, 2024 -
Unexplained Old Cases Of People Who Saw The Past And The Future – Time Travel Mysteries
Featured Stories | Apr 22, 2025 -
Ancient Mystery Of The Before – Time People – Traces Of An Unknown Lost Race – Part 1
Ancient Mysteries | Apr 3, 2019 -
Legendary Saraswati River Is Not A Legend – It Existed 4,000 Years Ago
Archaeology | Mar 18, 2017 -
Tiresias – Unusual Prophet Who Turned Into A Woman For Seven Years
Featured Stories | May 16, 2020 -
Meskhenet: Egyptian Goddess Of Household And Childbirth Who Governed Over Fate And Destiny
Featured Stories | Mar 14, 2019 -
Legend Of Fintan Mac Bochra Who Escaped The Great Flood And Became The First Man In Ireland
Featured Stories | Aug 26, 2021 -
Why Did First Printed Books Scare Ancient Scholars In Europe?
Featured Stories | Aug 26, 2025 -
Mysterious Disappearance Of The Eilean Mor Lighthouse Keepers Remains Unsolved
Featured Stories | Dec 21, 2018 -
Who Were The Picts, The Mysterious People Of Northern Scotland?
Featured Stories | Jan 4, 2026


