Editing Djoser (section)

=== Third Dynasty ===
The lands of Upper and Lower Egypt were united into a single kingdom sometime around 2686 BC. The period following the unification of the crowns was one of prosperity, marked by the start of the [[Third Dynasty of Egypt|Third Dynasty]] and the [[Old Kingdom]] of Egypt. The exact identity of the founder of the dynasty is a matter of debate, due to the fragmentary nature of the records from the period. Djoser is one of the principal candidates for the founder of the Third Dynasty. Other candidates are [[Nebka]] and [[Sanakht]]. Complicating matters further is the possibility that Nebka and Sanakht are referring to the same person.{{sfn|Baker|Baker|2001|p=15}}

Egyptologist [[Toby Wilkinson]] believes that the weight of archeological evidence favours Djoser (Netjerikhet) as Khasekhemwy's successor and therefore founder of the Third Dynasty. A seal from Khasekhemwy's tomb at Abydos, in combination with a seal from mastaba K1 at Beit Khallaf dated to Djoser's reign, links the two pharaohs together as father and son respectively. The seal at Abydos names a 'Nimaat-hap' as the mother of Khasekhemwy's children, while the other seal at Beit Khallaf names the same person as the 'mother of the dual-king'. Further archaeological evidence linking the reigns of the two pharaohs together are found at Shunet et-Zebib, which suggest that Djoser oversaw the burial of his predecessor. Ritual [[Stone vessels in Ancient Egypt|stone vessels]] found at the sites of the tombs &ndash; Khasekhemwy's tomb at Abydos and Djoser's tomb at Saqqara &ndash; of the two pharaohs also appear to have come from the same collection, as samples from both sites contain identical imagery of the god Min. This archeological evidence is supplemented by at least one historical source, the Saqqara king list, which names Djoser as the immediate successor of Bebti &ndash; a ramesside misreading of Khasekhemwy.{{sfn|Wilkinson|2001|pp=79 & 81}}