Iry-Hor

Iry-Hor or Ro (as read by Petrie) was a Predynastic pharaoh of ancient Egypt, although some archaeologists are doubtful of his existence. He was most likely Ka's immediate predecessor. He ruled over Abydos and was buried in its local cemetery at Umm el-Qa'ab near Ka, Narmer and the First Dynasty kings.

The argument against his existence rests on the lack of a "serekh" in front of his name and the poor attestation. The only other inscription of Iry-Hor outside of Abydos is located in Lower Egypt; while Ka and Narmer have many inscriptions located as far as Palestine. Toby Wilkinson dismisses the tomb as a storage pit and the name as a treasury mark.

Supporters point to the size and location of the tomb. It is a double tomb as big as Ka's and Narmer's, located within a sequential order linking the older "U" cemetery with the First Dynasty tombs. The name is inscribed on a large jar, like that of other pharaohs, and contains the royal Horus falcon. The "serekh" could have been a tradition that started with Ka.

If he existed, he would be the earliest documented person.

External links

* [http://xoomer.virgilio.it/francescoraf/hesyra/dynasty0.htm#Dyn0 Dynasty 0]
* [http://www.digitalegypt.ucl.ac.uk/chronology/kingiryhor.html King Iry-Hor]