Petrie 1899_On Our Present Knowledge of the Early Egyptians

On Our Present Knowledge of the Early Egyptians Author(s): W. Flinders Petrie Reviewed work(s): Source: The Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. 28, No. 3/4 (1899), pp. 202-203 Published by: Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2842869 . Accessed: 08/02/2013 05:38 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

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202 )

ON OUR PRESENT KNOWLEDGE OF THE EARLY EGYPTIANS. W. FLINDERSPETRIE,D.C.L., LL.D., F.S.A. BY PROFESSOR IN this communication the authorgave a summaryof the principaldiscoveries

duringthelast fiveyears,whichhad revealedtheriseofEgyptiancivilisation.It had beensaid thatthe beginning of the fourthEggyptian dynasty-theage of the date to which we could go. The about 4000 B.C.-Was the furthest Pyranmids, puzzlewas that therelhadbeen no trace of the originof this high civilisation. But now entirelynew discoveriesduringthe last fiveyears at Koptos,Nagada, Abydos,and Hieraconpolis, had discoveredremainsbelongilng, to the ages before 4000 B.C., whichhad hithertobeeuithe starting pointofknowln history. the Libyanstock,withsomeNegroadmixture, Beginiingwvith whichoccupied Egyptduringits earliestphaseof civilisation, ProfessorPetrie exhibitedillustraoftheobjectshe had foundat Nagada-includingstatuettes, tionsofsomlle gaines, slatepalettesforgrinding paint,beautifuilly ribbedflintknlives ofextremedelicacy, and forkedlancesand arrows,carvedspoonsofivoryand bone,harpoons, bracelets, combs. These were at firsttemporarily assignedto a new race, as we knew nothingmoreaboutthem; but further researchhad shownthat theycould now be safelyassignedto the pre-dynastic stockabout5000 B.C., and evenearlier. In the gravesof this aboriginalrace therewere foundcertainibowls of black clay withpatternsimprinted uIpolnthem. Thesewereofmuchimportance in discussing area. In therelationof thiscivilisationto that of othersin the Mediterranean each of the countrieswherethis had been found-in Spain,Bosnia,Egypt,and withtheintroduction Hissarlik-it was contemporary of nmetals.Metalshadjust and therefore in all cases this potterywas associatedwiththe been introduced, sanmestate of civilisation. The proximatedate of this was the close of the ofmetals-viz.,5000 B.c.-and thataccorded Neolithicperiodand theintroduction by verywell with the time necessaryforarriviing at the high cuiltureattainied 1500 B.c. These discoverieswereconsequently of muchvalue in revealingthe relativestate of Egyptiancivilisatiolito that of the rest of the worldat the of dynasticrule. Therewas a widedifference introduction betweenthe people of 5000 B.C. and those of 4000 B.C.,but no difference betweenthose of the latter race elntered periodand Egyptiansof Roman age. This showedthat a different thecountrybetween4000 and 5000 B.C. Thenfollowedthedynasticremainsofthepresumedtombof King Mena,the ofthedynastichistory, ofaboutthedate of4700 B.C., and thentheremains founder

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PROF. W. FLINDERS

PETIuIE.-On

ou6r Present Knowledge of

theEaqly

203

Egyptians.

of other royal tombs found at Abydos belongiing to the first three dynasties. skill of flint wolkilng had undoubtedly gone down and was fast dying oult.

The There

was a gradual decay of flinltworking between 4500 B.C. aind 1500 B.C., as mlletalscame Professor Petrie showed

into use aind copper was gradually hardened into bronze.

diagrams of cylindrical seals as used by the kilngs of the first three dynasties, and of sulch cylinders, which were vastly more frequently foulnd thani the seals thelmiselves. He then exlhibited represelntations of tablets and slates, bearing

impressions

figures of animiials aiicl birds, such as the hawk, buill, lioln, and leopard, which manifested a well-acquirecd knowledge of these animals, as well as of the ibex, Large numnbers of animiials, such as the calf, molnkey, and

gazelle, and antelope.

dog, had been found miodelled in green clay, together with a model of a lion in red pottery. These finds were very important, as they showed the skill of clay modelling of the earliest dynasty, the rise of the alt of modelling, and the Egyptian ideas and appreciation of the formisof animiials all(

of the hulmlan body.

These iniportant nionuinienitsof the civil life of the early kiiigs proved that glazinlg was a speciality of the ori(rinal people, and that Egyptian water

mllark somiiewhere

abOUt B.C. 4000.

art reached its Iiighshowed the

Slate tablets and miiace-heads

kings in triumpli over their enemies, receiving, captive kings, opening the public works, or reclaiming the miiarshes. Other vessels them.

had dedicatioDs

wvritten upon

Tlhe lianidled coppel vessels showed the most advalceed ietal

wvorkfouiid

of the first thlree dyniasties. Tlhe populatioli of the pire-dyniastic age differed in. type froiii that of histolical timiies,and in the early iiionullnents the presence of diverse types was very clear, some beiing slhaven, sonie bearded, sonme long-haired.

We lhad at lhst before us

evideince of the close of tlhe period previously considered pre-llistoric, slhowing the developnmenitof the art, writing, and civilisatioln of Egypt and the compositionl of a race wlhich hiad since mnaintained its character dturing,6,000 years. The puzzle was lhow this civilisatioli arose, aiid we h-ad dmi.covered evidenice to solve this puzzle. Egypt was theni aii originator in the arts aind liot a borrower, but ever since then most

of the niationis of the ea.trth lhad been

were studying comiplex

the

civilisatioln

borrowers

hiistory of a coutnltry, not

anid niot originators.

borrowinga

but

fronm its owli resources.

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clevelopinig

Here

we

a vast

anid