Palermo Stone

 The Palermo Stone is one of seven surviving fragments of a stele known as the Royal Annals of the Old Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, which contained a list of kings from the First Dynasty to the early part of the Fifth Dynasty and noted significant events in each year of their reigns. The stone itself is an irregular shield-shaped fragment made out of basalt, measuring 43.5 cm high, 25 cm wide, and 6.5 cm thick. It contains six horizontal bands or registers that list predynastic kings in Lower Egypt on its front side, while its backside continues with royal annals up until Neferirkare Kakai, third ruler of the Fifth Dynasty. The original location and archaeological provenance are unknown for this important historical artifact. The stone was purchased by Sicilian lawyer Ferdinand Guidano in 1859 and has been housed at the Palermo Archaeological Museum since 1877. There are also five other fragments belonging to the Royal Annals currently held at various museums around Cairo and London. However, uncertainties surround these fragments' authenticity as they do not have any clear provenance. Despite these uncertainties surrounding its date and origin, there is no denying that the Palermo Stone remains a vital source for understanding Egyptian history during this time period. Its inscriptions provide information on measurements of annual Nile floods, festivals, taxation details, sculpture works, buildings constructed during different reigns' warfare activities. Furthermore, it lists names not found elsewhere in recorded history such as those belonging to nine predynastic pharaohs whose existence remains uncertain but can be traced back through ancient historian Manetho's work during his writing in third century BCE. In conclusion,the significance and value placed upon this stone cannot be overstated as it provides valuable insights into Ancient Egyptian culture and history that would otherwise remain unknown without it.