Regarding the 2nd Dynasty seals with particular relevance to the figure shwon on its side or upright over a 'ladder', i emailed Francesco Raffaele whose site they are on enquiring what others had so far made of them, not mentioning my own considerations, specific to the figure apparantly above a 'ladder', he replied thus;



...those sealings refer to an unknown institution (nb) and to the official in charge of its direction (there is sometimes an Adj-Mer official of the Nb).
Cf Kahl Dictionary vol. 3, 224ff; Helck, Untersuchungen zur Thinitenzeit, 1987, 182-3; Kaplony, Inschriften der Ag. Fruhzeit I, 126f.; and Wörterbuch II, 236. 6-9-
The substantive shares homophony with the verb for swiming and with the noun of a place where gold and other metals were smelted, and perhaps the NB "Wirtshaftsanlage" might have something to do with the latter activity.

Therefore no ladder at all, but a sign for a pool or a land portion (later this determin. was replaced by the hieroglyph MER, Gardiner s.list N36).


[xoomer.alice.it]






I would take from that what is represented is unknown basically, but as far as my own considerations for it being representative of the 'Lord of the horizon', then i would understand 'nb' to mean 'Lord', and the 'ladder' as early sign for 'Mer' meaning a place or instrument of ascension. I still think the early sign was figuratively the ladder, associated with the portion of the horizon where Sah ascended/descended.

Chis Tedder pointed out to me the small circles represent metals, but could also be shown to represent stars, in terms of the consideration what is shown had some referance to metals, a homophony being a word that sounds similar but has differant meaning.



Morph.