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Titulary
It is assumed that Den came to power as an infant, as his mother Merneith is closely associated with his rule as regent or possibly as a ruler in her own right. Den is listed as ruling for 20 years by Manetho, although evidence suggests that he had a much longer rule -- perhaps 50 years -- after the death of his father.
Den is the first king to adopt a "Nebti", or "Two Ladies" name and the first to be represented by the double crown -- the white crown of upper egypt and the red crown of lower egypt, which underlined his flourishing reign over the two regions. He created a chancellor position for Lower Egypt and filled it with a man names Hemaka who has a tomb at Saqqara. He is also the first to incorporate a long staircase in his tome, leading directly to the burial chamber. This feature would be adopted by his successors. He also is credited with the first census of Egypt, counting "all people of the north, west, and east" to determine taxes. An enormous surge in building occurred during his reign -- nearly 30 mastabas in Saqqara and Abu Rowash were built by his officials, far more than during the reigns of his predecessors. It signals a prosperous rule and strong administration. |
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