What material was the Narmer Palette made from?

The Narmer Palette was made from siltstone, a fine-grained dark stone used extensively by Predynastic Egyptian craftsmen.

Discovered at Hierakonpolis in 1897–1898, the ceremonial palette dates to about 3200–3000 BCE, near the beginning of Egypt’s dynastic history. Its reliefs show King Narmer in scenes often interpreted as representing the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt. It is also one of the earliest objects to preserve hieroglyphic inscriptions.

The stone has sometimes been called slate, schist, or greywacke, but those labels are less precise or historically mistaken. Siltstone is relatively hard and fine-grained, making it suitable for the palette’s detailed low-relief carving. Its likely stone source was Wadi Hammamat, a quarry region used since Predynastic times.

The object was technically a cosmetic palette, but its large size and elaborate imagery indicate that it was ceremonial rather than an everyday makeup tool. Its shield-like shape and carved scenes make it an important source for studying early Egyptian kingship and art.