Year label of Horus Djet mentioning a visit to the shrine of the Two Ladies. The name of Sewadjka is written behind (to the left) of the king’s.
Source: Helck, Untersuchungen zur Thinitenzeit, Wiesbaden 1987, p. 156.
The actual reading of the name of a high official who lived during the reign of Horus Djet is uncertain. Proposed readings are Sewadjka, Sedjsekhemka, Sekhemsedjka and Sekhemkasedj and depend mainly on the interpretation of the high, narrow sign written between the snake (D) and the two arms (kA). For practical purposes, this site will use the reading Sewadjka.
The oldest known attestation of Sewadjka's name has been found on a seal impression in the tomb of Horus Djer at Umm el-Qa'ab, which, by some, has been seen as an indication that Sewadjka may have started his career during the reign of Djer, perhaps during his later years. Most sources, however, are dated to the reign of Djet, when he was an administrator (aD-mr) of the royal estate Wadj-Her. During Djet’s reign his career advanced to being controller (xrp) of the same estate.
There are indications that he continued in this capacity until the early years of Horus Den, during the regency of Merneith.
He also bore the titles of nxn or xrp nxn and the rather obscure title of xrp nbj. Towards the end of his career he rose to the position of administrator of the estate Her-sekhenti-dju, which appears to have been one of the most prestigious offices of the 1st Dynasty.
He was buried in tomb S 3504 in Saqqara North. Among the objects found in this tomb were year labels, ivory gaming pieces, some of which were inscribed and a gaming board as well as sealings bearing the names of Djet, Den and Qa’a.
The presence of sealings Qa’a in Sewadjka’s tomb may point to the tomb being inspected and closed again at the end of the 1st Dynasty.