Podcast Summary: The Ancients – “The First Pharaohs” Host: Tristan Hughes
Guest: Professor Aidan Dodson (University of Bristol)
Release Date: September 28, 2025

Overview

In this episode of The Ancients, host Tristan Hughes delves into the enigmatic origins of Egypt’s earliest rulers—the so-called "first pharaohs"—with expert Egyptologist Professor Aidan Dodson. Together, they explore how the history of these early kings (circa 3000 BC) came to light, the transition from scattered communities to unification, and what archaeological evidence tells us about royal power, burial practices, and the lasting legacy of First Dynasty pharaohs. Dodson brings to life an era before Tutankhamun and Rameses, when Egypt was first unified, and famous artifacts like the Narmer Palette were created.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Enigma of the First Pharaohs (04:19–05:34)

• Rarity and Recovery of Evidence:
  The earliest pharaohs are relatively unknown due to the scarcity of evidence. Ironically, archaeology has preserved more about some of these early rulers than about those slightly later, but overall, the record is sparse compared to later dynasties.
• The period before the pyramids remained a mystery until discoveries in the late 19th century revolutionized understanding.

2. Archaeological Breakthroughs: Sites, Methods, and Challenges (05:34–07:45)

• Key Sites: The discovery of the royal cemetery at Abydos in the 1890s was central to reconstructing the First Dynasty king list.
  • “Everything changed by the discovery of a couple of sites…. we had the complete sequence of tombs of the first dynasty kings.” —Prof. Aidan Dodson (05:39)
• Early archaeologists like Flinders Petrie were pivotal in establishing the link between material culture and historical lists.

3. Legendary Kings and King Lists (07:45–13:25)

• Historical vs. Mythological:
  Prior to archaeology, figures from the first two or three dynasties were seen as semi-legendary, known only from later texts and king lists.
• Manetho’s Influence:
  Manetho, an Egyptian priest writing in Greek (3rd century BC), invented the concept of dynasties. His work is known only through later quotations, creating significant discrepancies.
  • “We don’t actually have original Manetho… what we have for the first three dynasties… they differ between the individual versions.” —Prof. Dodson (11:03)
• Fictitious Kings:
  Some entries in the lists, such as "Hujepha," are modernly understood to mean "king gap in the records," not actual rulers.
  • “There’s a cartouche of a king called Hujepha… it means king gap in the records.” —Prof. Dodson (12:38)

4. Pre-Pharaonic Egypt: The Path to Unification (13:58–19:01)

• Egypt prior to unification (before 3000 BC) was a patchwork of villages with cultural distinctions between the north (Delta) and the south (Upper Egypt).
• Population movements were driven by climatic change (desertification pushing people to the Nile).
• Archaeological preservation is better in the south due to arid conditions; the north remains mysterious.

5. The Question of Kingship and Terminology (19:22–21:09)

• “Pharaoh”:
  The term is anachronistic for the First Dynasty; it didn’t come into use until c. 1300 BC. Egyptians then likely referred to their king as "nesut" or "nesut-bity."
  • “Calling these people pharaohs is an anachronism… the first Egyptian kings to be called pharaoh didn’t rule until 1500 years later.” —Prof. Dodson (19:22)
• The term “pharaoh” persists in popular English usage as handy shorthand.

6. The Scorpion King(s) (21:09–23:03)

• There may have been one or two early rulers denoted by the scorpion symbol, with minimal evidence available—a tomb at Abydos and the ceremonial ‘Scorpion Macehead.’
  • "He is the first royal individual to be depicted in what you might call the traditional Egyptian style… right on the boundary between prehistory and history." —Prof. Dodson (21:58)
• The Scorpion King was possibly a direct predecessor to Narmer, straddling the moment of Egypt’s unification.

7. The Unification of Egypt (23:03–24:49)

• The driving forces behind unification are unclear: possibly natural social processes (economic or political) and/or the ambitions of individuals like Narmer.
• No evidence of a contemporary climate crisis triggering unification at that specific point.
  • “It’s probably the result of…a logical extension. As you’re getting a larger and larger state, it makes sense for more of it to come together.” —Prof. Dodson (23:35)
• The Narmer Palette, found at Hierakonpolis, is critical as a near-contemporary document of unification.

8. Narmer and the Narmer Palette (28:31–32:36)

• Discovery:
  Unearthed at Hierakonpolis, the Narmer Palette depicts the likely unification of Upper and Lower Egypt, with Narmer shown symbolically defeating the north.
• Significance:
  The palette is a key artifact for dating and understanding early kingship.
  • “On one side it depicts the king smiting a northern enemy and on the back wearing the crown of the north.” —Prof. Dodson (29:35)
• Debate continues whether Narmer is the same as Menes, the principal king in later legends and king lists. Dodson supports the identification of Narmer and Menes as the same figure.
  • “Menes really has to be Narmer. It doesn’t really quite work [otherwise].” —Prof. Dodson (31:33)
• Narmer’s reign saw the foundations of trade and early writing.

9. Consolidation and Legacy of the Early Dynasties (32:36–35:21)

• Successive kings developed the royal titulary, administrative advances, artistic conventions, and religious festivals (like jubilees).
• Writing remained rudimentary at first but developed quickly.
• Notable is the practice of mass human sacrifice at royal tombs, which briefly flourished and then disappeared.
  • “Soon after unification we have large scale human sacrifice at the royal tombs… then rapidly drops off again.” —Prof. Dodson (34:32)
• Parallels noticed with later Mesopotamian practices at Ur.

10. Divine Kingship: Beginnings of Royal Divinity (37:32–39:42)

• The concept of royal divinity is implicit but not explicit in the earliest evidence; titles like “Son of the Sun God” appear centuries later.
  • “I think there’s an implication there of a divine king… but exactly what that means has to be interpreted back from material centuries later.” —Prof. Dodson (37:49)
• Archaeologists must beware of interpreting early evidence through the lens of later periods.

11. The Significance of Abydos (39:42–47:50)

• Location: North of Luxor (approx. two hours by modern road).
• Became the cemeterial heart for the First Dynasty, later evolving into the cult center for Osiris.
  • “After the unification, it then becomes the place to be seen dead in if you’re a pharaoh.” —Prof. Dodson (40:39)
• Tombs were large brick-lined pits (not rock-cut), with offering stelae marking cult centers.
• Later, the tomb of the king Djer was “repurposed” as the tomb of Osiris for the famous Osirian passion plays.

12. Saqqara and Shifting Burial Practices (47:50–48:42)

• From the Second Dynasty onward, royal burials shifted north to Saqqara, near Memphis (the new administrative capital).
• Early Saqqara tombs, once thought to belong to kings, are now identified as burials for high officials and royal family.

13. The Ongoing Historical Puzzle (48:42–49:54)

• The Second and Third Dynasties remain enigmatic, with fragmented or contradictory evidence.
  • “We’ve got a pretty good idea at the First Dynasty and then…it all goes to rats… until we get the reign of Sneferu.” —Prof. Dodson (49:09)
• The period’s uncertainty makes it a fascinating field for ongoing research.

14. Further Resources (50:07–50:19)

• Professor Dodson’s book: The First Pharaohs of Egypt: Their Lives and Afterlives (AUC Press) offers a more detailed account and is widely available.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On documentary gaps:
  “There’s a cartouche of a king called Hujepha… it means king gap in the records.”
  —Prof. Aidan Dodson (12:38)

• On the persistence of ‘pharaoh’ as a term:
  “I know I am [being anachronistic]. Please go away and get real.”
  —Prof. Aidan Dodson (20:23, on using "pharaoh" for convenience)

• On archaeological evidence for the Scorpion King:
  “He is the first royal individual to be depicted in what you might call the traditional Egyptian style… right on the boundary between prehistory and history.”
  —Prof. Aidan Dodson (21:58)

• On the unification's causes:
  "It’s probably the result of… a logical extension… but also, you can’t rule out the idea of some particular person’s personal ambition."
  —Prof. Aidan Dodson (23:35)

• On the rapid establishment of royal traditions:
  “The pharaonic state as it comes to exist is there perhaps within the first sort of few decades after the unification.”
  —Prof. Aidan Dodson (33:34)

• On First Dynasty archaeology:
  “The first dynasty is interesting because we’ve actually got a really quite good archaeological package, if you like, for their tombs.”
  —Prof. Aidan Dodson (45:11)

• On the complexity and appeal of the earliest dynasties:
  “It’s far more fun to work on stuff where you don’t have the data or [are] having to sort of deal with a whole load of contradictory stuff…”
  —Prof. Aidan Dodson (49:37)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 04:19 – Why the first pharaohs seem so enigmatic
• 05:34 – How archaeological discoveries (especially Abydos) changed everything
• 10:45 – The importance, but also unreliability, of Manetho and king lists
• 13:58 – Life and structure in pre-pharaonic Egypt
• 21:09 – The Scorpion King(s): myth, evidence, and tombs
• 23:03 – Factors behind Egypt’s unification
• 28:31 – The Narmer Palette and its significance
• 32:36 – How early pharaohs consolidated power and traditions
• 34:32 – Evidence and meaning of human sacrifice at royal tombs
• 37:32 – The early pharaohs and the beginnings of divine kingship
• 39:42 – Abydos as the key burial and cult center
• 47:50 – Saqqara’s rise and shift in royal burials
• 49:06 – The murkiness of the Second and Third Dynasties
• 50:07 – Where to learn more: Dodson’s book

Conclusion

This episode offers a fascinating and clear-eyed look at the earliest days of pharaonic Egypt, highlighting the challenges and excitement of working with partial, often ambiguous evidence. Professor Dodson’s engaging explanations, sprinkled with incisive humor, make the story of the first pharaohs accessible and compelling—even as many questions remain open for future exploration.

For more, see Professor Dodson’s recommended book, and stay tuned for the promised sequel episode focusing on the even more mysterious Second and Third Dynasties.