Aha

King c.3070 BC.

    It is probable that 'Aha ('The Fighter') was the second king of the First Dynasty and the immediate successor of *Narmer, the founder of dynastic Egypt, who almost certainly can be identified with the name of Menes. Nevertheless, there has been considerable controversy over the correct identification of these three names: an ivory tablet, discovered in a tomb at Nagada by the archaeologist de Morgan in 1897 (and now in the Cairo Museum), is inscribed with both the hieroglyphic signs reading 'Mn' ('Menes') and the name of 'Aha. This led to one conclusion that Menes and 'Aha were the same person, but subsequently it was shown that this actually represented an occasion on which 'Aha was visiting a place connected with his predecessor, Menes, when he was perhaps taking part in the erection of a temporary structure to be used in Menes' funeral.

    Other evidence provided by jar-sealings from Abydos shows that the names of 'Mn' and '*Narmer' occur together, and although this does not perhaps confirm conclusively that *Narmer is to be identified with Menes, most scholars now agree that, on balance, the facts indicate that *Narmer and Menes were the same person and that 'Aha was his immediate successor.

BIBL. Emery, W. Archaic Egypt. Harmondsworth: 1961; Emery, W.B. Hor-Aha. Service des Antiquites de l'Egypte: excavation at Saqqara, 1937-8, 1. Cairo: 1939.

Biographical Dictionary of Ancient Egypt by Rosalie and Antony E. David

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(reigned c. 3080 BC)

   Second king of Dynasty 1. Successor of Narmer, as confirmed by the dynastic seal. He appears to have been buried at Abydos, and tombs of officials of his reign are known at Saqqara. Aha is probably not to be identified as Menes. He was succeeded by Djet, who was probably his son and whose mother was Khenethap.

Historical Dictionary Of Ancient Egypt by Morris L. Bierbrier