Rock carvings discovered in the eastern desert near Aswan offer rare insight into how early Egyptian rulers asserted power more than 5,000 years ago. The newly studied engravings, part of ongoing research into rock art in Ancient Egypt, show how pre-dynastic kings used divine symbolism and brutal imagery to legitimize their authority during the formation of the world’s first territorial state.
At the center of this study is a figure known as King Scorpion. He ruled during the late fourth millennium BC, a period before the pharaonic dynasties.
Scorpion’s name appears on a rock inscription in Wadi Abu Subeira, along with the phrase “Domain of the Horus King Scorpion,” which Egyptologist Prof. Dr. Ludwig Morenz interprets as the earliest known written place name. Morenz, from the University of Bonn, partnered with researcher Mohamed Abdelhay Abu Bakr to document these findings in their new book Culture and Power in Pre-Pharaonic Egypt.
Symbolism and rulership in the desert frontier
The carvings are found across the Wadi el Malik region, a desert area east of the Nile Valley that remains largely unexplored. Researchers identified early hieroglyphs, symbolic animal figures, and scenes of violence that portray how rulers visualized control.
Scorpion is among several kings depicted, including predecessors such as King Bull and King Horus-Falcon. One of the earliest rulers, named Scolopendra after a venomous centipede, also appears in the sequence.
These images, carved into rock surfaces, suggest the area served as a symbolic frontier during the state’s early expansion. According to Morenz, rulers linked themselves to powerful animals to represent authority.
They were not viewed as gods themselves but claimed divine connection. Scorpion, for example, was associated with the deities Bat, symbolizing fertility, and Min, a desert god tied to hunting and wild lands.
Visual violence and religious processions
One particularly graphic carving shows a ruler trampling an enemy while two severed heads lie nearby, an example of how early kings used visual violence to reinforce dominance. Another significant scene features a ceremonial boat hauled by 25 men, believed to depict religious processions that linked the Nile Valley to the desert.
Digital imaging tools helped reveal parts of the carvings invisible to the naked eye. Morenz believes this work only scratches the surface. He supports further archaeological exploration and hopes the area will eventually be opened to visitors, emphasizing that understanding rock art in Ancient Egypt requires recognizing both the images and their placement within the surrounding landscape.
