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Find the snake on this painted relief carving. You’ll find a cobra just above the center, spreading its neck in response to a threat. Some species of cobra spit poisonous venom at their prey. These impressive, terrifying snakes fascinated the ancient Egyptians. This fragment shows only one piece of a larger picture, carved in relief on a limestone wall. Below the cobra, you can see a man’s eye, along with part of his nose. The cobra on this man’s forehead tells us that he was a pharaoh, or king. The Greeks called this cobra a uraeus. It was a royal insignia that was meant to protect the pharaoh. Now look in the display case to the right. At the center of the large relief stands another picture of the same pharaoh, named Mentuhotep the Second. This time he wears a tall white crown. Can you see the uraeus over his forehead? As you look around the galleries, look for more examples of the uraeus – you’ll see them on many images of Egyptian pharaohs. The gods sometimes wore a uraeus, too.