Periben arrived on the throne under the name of Sekhemib. The name means Powerful in Heart. Peribsen would make sweeping political changes in Egypt of this time. No longer would the serekhs bearing the royal names be surmounted by Horus but by his religious rival, Set. Set would become the primary royal patron diety. A stela bearing his name found at Abydos illustrates the change in loyalties. The actual identity of this ruler is in question. It could be that he was a usurper or may have been a member of a collateral branch of the ruling family. Peribsen was buried at Abydos where his tomb measures about 64ft x 56 ft.

Khasekhemwy ascended to the throne in uneasy times. The new king had a Northern rebellion to put down. The rebels met with limited success as they made their incursions as far south as Nekheb and Nekhen. The former the sacred city of the diety Nekhbet and the latter the ancient southern capital. Khasekhemwy was victorious in putting the rebellion. His victory is told on two statues one of schist and the other limestone. Both portraits show the king with northerners in contorted positions at the base of both statues. It is further shown that Khasekhemwy is wearing the White Crown that symbolized the South. It is recorded that some more than 47,000 casualties died in this Civil War. He married Nemathap. She was a woman of royal Northern lineage. The marriage consolidated the kings rule in both regions. Nemathap is documented as being a "King Bearing Mother". She is also credited with being the ancestor of the 3rd Dynasty.

Khasekhemwy has a tomb at Abydos and is the largest burial of the Archaic Period. It is trapezoidal in shape. It is 230 ft. long and the width varies from 33 ft at the smallest end to 56 ft. at the largest end. It has many chambers within it and the burial chamber is in the center of the tomb. The tomb was robbed in antiquity but Petrie discovered some artifacts that were abandoned by the robbers. Some of the remaining artifacts were a mace with a carnelian head and some gold-leafed pottery vessels.

Khasekhemwy also constructed a building not far from the burial site. It is located in the modern Shunet el-Zebib. It is a mud brick structure that is rectangular with an articulated palace facade. The building has outer walls that measure some 16 ft thick and are 66 ft high. The central building is 404 ft x 210 ft. The purpose of the building is not clear but its proximity to the burial may hint at some ritual significance. The building is one of the most remarkable considering that it is about 5000 years old.

The early years of this dynasty were fairly peaceful and for the most part prosperous. The final two rulers would have political strife on their hands. The conflicts were initiated by the changes instituted by Peribsen. Khasekhemwy was responsible for settling many of the disputes that had as a result of those changes. He reconciles both factions by adding both Set and Horus to his name. Both Horus and Set surmount his serekh. Khasekhemwy's rule may have been the bond that allowed Egypt to flourish in theOld Kingdom.

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