420 Umm el-Ga’ab
MALLAWI. His tomb was large and contained elaborate
reliefs, as well as a registry of his family, a false door, and a
statue niche. A third Ukh-hotep also served Senwosret I.
Umm el-Ga’ab It was the necropolis of the city of ABY-
DOS, called “the Mother of Pots” by modern local resi-
dents. This was one of Egypt’s earliest cemeteries, used by
the rulers of the First Dynasty (2920–2770 B.C.E.). Sec-
ond Dynasty (2770–2649 B.C.E.) monuments, associated
with PERIBSENand KHA’SEKHEMWY, were also found on the
site, called “Peger” in some records. Some Predynastic
graves are also at Umm el-Ga’ab.
The superstructures of the royal tombs have been
destroyed over the centuries, exposing the remains of
brick-lined burial pits. The rulers deposited stelae and
clay sealings in these chambers as well as ivory figurines
and mortuary furniture. The tomb of DJER, the second
ruler of the First Dynasty, was declared the resting place
of the deity OSIRIS. As a result, the tomb received many
honors and votive offerings, particularly during the New
Kingdom Period (1550–1070 B.C.E.). A tomb dating to
the Twenty-first Dynasty (1070–945 B.C.E.) was erected
for Psusennes, the son of the high priest of AMUN,
MENKHEPERRESENB(2), at Umm el-Ga’ab. The tomb has a
chapel, burial shaft, and mortuary stela. The site is
famous for the sounds made by the finely grained sands
of the region. This sand makes aeolian melodies when
blown over the ruins and the dunes by the wind. The
Egyptians believed the sounds originated in the tombs.
Unfinished Pyramid See ZAWIET EL-ARYAN.
Unis (Weni, Wenis)(d. 2323 B.C.E.)Ninth ruler of the
Fifth Dynasty
Reigning 2356–2323 B.C.E., Unis was possibly a son of
IZEZI(Djedkaré), inheriting the throne when the original
heir, Remkuy, died. The TURIN CANONlists Unis, whose
reign was prosperous.
He married Queen NEBETand KHENUT. Unis did not
have an heir, but his daughter, IPUT(1), married TETI,
who founded the Sixth Dynasty. Unis conducted trade
with BYBLOS, in Phoenicia (modern Lebanon), and NUBIA
(modern Sudan), and he sent an expedition to Nubia that
was recorded on the Elephantine Island. This expedition
returned to Egypt with a giraffe, a rare sight in Egypt at
the time. He also fought a battle with the BEDOUINSin the
SINAIPeninsula.
Queen Nebet, the mother of Prince Unis-ankh, and
Queen Khenut were buried in Unis’s mortuary complex
in SAQQARA. This pyramidal structure is in the northern
part of the Saqqara necropolis and was restored centuries
later by KHA’EMWESET (1), a son of RAMESSES II (r.
1290–1224 B.C.E.). The pyramid had a rubble core and
was designed with a long causeway that led to the VALLEY
TEMPLE,a MORTUARY TEMPLE, and two boat pits. The
PYRAMID TEXTSserve as reliefs in this tomb and offer vig-
orous images, including the CANNIBAL HYMN. The site has
burial shafts and a multichambered chapel. Prince Unis-
ankh and Princess Iput were buried there.Unu He was the hare deity of Egypt called “the
Springer-up.” The hare was considered a form of the god
RÉand was worshiped at HERMOPOLIS. His consort was
WENUT, a goddess of THEBES. Some of the gods and god-
desses of the nation were associated with nature and with
animal, THEOPHANIES, used as symbols of special virtues
or strength.Upper Kingdom See EGYPT.uraeus The insignia of the rulers of ancient Egypt,
worn on CROWNS and headdresses to denote rank, the
uraeus was composed of symbols of the cobra and the
VULTURE, sometimes the cobra alone. The reptile repre-
sented WADJET, the protectoress of Lower Egypt and the
vulture was NEKHEBET, the vulture goddess who served
Upper Egypt. Wadjet was always shown with its hood
extended, threatening the enemies of Egypt as the serpent
threatened the foes of the god RÉ. The cobra was some-
times depicted in the cults of the deities HORUSand OSIRIS.ur-heka It was the instrument traditionally used in MOR-
TUARY RITUALSby the attending priest during the ceremony
of the Opening of the Mouth, the ceremony restoring the
human senses of the deceased in the eternal realms, and in
other cultic rites. This instrument ensured that the
deceased would have control of his or her vital senses
beyond the grave. AMULETS and other funerary pieces
included spells that safeguarded the integrity of the
human form while undergoing the transformations of
death.Ur-hiya(fl. 13th century B.C.E.) Military official of the
Nineteenth Dynasty
He served SETI I(r. 1306–1290 B.C.E.) as a military com-
mander. Ur-hiya was apparently a Canaanite or Hurrian
who had risen through the ranks of the army, probably
coming to Seti I’s attention before he took the throne. The
presence of aliens in Egypt’s military forces was unique to
the New Kingdom Period (1550–1070 B.C.E.), although
mercenary units were used in some campaigns in the ear-
liest dynasties. Each foreigner on the Nile was given the
opportunity to serve his adopted land by performing mil-
itary or state duties to prove his worth. Such aliens were
not treated as mercenaries but considered as citizens of
the Nile.Uronarti It was a site near the second cataract of the
Nile in NUBIA (modern Sudan), where SENWOSRET III