Qa'a - End of Reign

End of Reign

Despite Qa'a´s reign lasted long and was a prosperous one, it seems that after his death a proper war-of-the-roses broke out for the throne of Egypt. In the tomb of the high official Merka a stone vessel with the name of a king Sneferka was found. It is unclear whether “Sneferka” is a name that Qa'a used for a short time or if he was a separate ephemeral ruler. Egyptologists such as Wolfgang Helck and Toby Wilkinson point to a further mysterious ruler named “Horus Bird”, his name was found on vessel fragments dating to the end of the first dynasty. It is postulated that Sneferka and Horus Bird fought for power and that Hotepsekhemwy ended the fight and finally ascended the throne of Egypt thus starting the 2nd dynasty. Strong clues to that theory are traces of grave robberies and arsons found in the royal tombs of Abydos. Clay seals of Hotepsekhemwy found in Qa'a's tomb suggest that he restored the tomb or buried Qa'a, maybe in an attempt to legitimate his rule.