Before Cleopatra: The woman who held the Egyptian throne and was erased from memory

A new study reveals that a woman named Meretneith ruled Egypt around 5,000 years ago, more than a thousand years before Queen Sobekneferu. Researchers used digital scanning technology on ancient clay jar stoppers and uncovered her royal seal, proving she was a sovereign ruler and not just a king's wife or mother.

A new study published in the scientific journal Prague Egyptological Studies reveals that the first woman to rule the Egyptian power lived around 5,000 years ago, long before Cleopatra and Nefertiti. The researchers used special computer software to read ancient signs erased over time on ancient clay jar stoppers, and managed to prove that a woman named Meretneith held the power of a supreme ruler in every respect. Her lavish tomb was previously excavated and revealed hundreds of wine jars and dozens of servant graves, similar to the burials of male kings of the same period. The digital scan discovered on the clay stoppers the Egyptian royal seal – a symbol that marks only a king – bearing the name of Meretneith. The study indicates that Meretneith did not seize power for just a brief moment, but was a key political figure for about 30 years. She began her career alongside her father the king, and later, when her son was too young to rule, she effectively managed Egypt. She controlled the state treasury and issued orders to senior officials. Until now, history books taught that the first queen to rule Egypt independently was Sobekneferu, who lived around 4,000 years ago. The current discovery pushes the beginning of female leadership back more than a thousand years.