The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-06

| symbols or as letters The history was
| entirely derived from the confused ac-
/ counts of Greek uthOrs, the lists remain
| ing of Manetho's history written about
| $50 b. c., and the illusions in the Bible.
| The attempt to make everything fit to the
| ideas Of the Greeks, and to make every
| thing refer to the biblical history, greatly
retarded the understanding Of the monu-
mcnts, and is scarcely overcome yet. The
/ first great step forward was when an in
| scription was found at Rosetta in 1893
! written in two methods the monumental
1 hierogiyphic and the popular denote.
/ along with a Greek version. By 1oO2
some groups of each writing had been
| translated. Young identified more signs.
| and GEL by 1922 could successfully ap-
portion tEree-quarters of the signs to the
| Greek words. The next step was to apply
the modern Ccptic language, descended
| from the ancient Egyptian, to the reading
| of the words. Cell had been doing so,
but it needed a student of Coptic-Cham
pollion-to carry this out thoroughly. as
| he did in 1921 to 1882. Since then ad-
vance in reading has been only a matter
| of detail, not requiring any new princi-
| pies.
| The knowledge OF the AIT began with
| the admiration for The debased work of
4 Roman times, the principal interest at the
/ beginning Of the century. Then the ex-
cavations among the Ramesside monu-
| ments at Thebes. about 1S20-30. took at
! tertion back to the age of 1OG0-l5GO B. c.
| The work Of Lepsius, and later of Mari
/ cite, from 1SI0-S0, opened mems eyes to
/ the splendid work of the early iynasties,
about 3v00-4000 b. c. And lastly, the ex-
cayatiOns of 1S93-1S99 have fascinated
scholars by a view of the rise of the
/ civilization and the prehistoric period be-
/ fore 5000 B. C.
Throughout the greater part OF the cen
/ fury the archaeology of Egypt lay I'M
| touched all attention was given to the
| language: and even Gardner Wilkinsons
line view of the civilization t1S3D Depend
ed largely on Greek authors and mad no
perspective of history in tracing changes
| and development. 1t is only in the last
] ten or fifteen years that any exact knowl-
/ edge has been acquired about the rise and
! progress OF the various arts of life; this
study now enables US to date the sculp
/ ture, metal work. pottery, and other art
/ products as exactly as we can those of the
Middle Ages
| The view that we now have of the rise
and decay of this great civilization and
/ its connection with other lands Is more
complete and far reaching than that OF
any other country. In the early undated
/ ages, before the monarchy which began
/ was spread over upper Egypt Towns
/ were built OF brick, as in later times;
clothing was made of woven linen and
of leather; pottery was most skill
fully formed, without the potters wheel.
! hand made, yet of exquisite regu-
( laTity and beauty of outline. while
the variety of form is perhaps greater
I than in any other land; stone vases
were made entirely by hand, without
a lathe. as perfect in form as the pot
terry, and of the hardest rocks. as diorite
and granite; wood was carved for furni
ture; the art of colOred glazing was com
mon, and was even applied to glazing over
large carvings in rock crystal; ornaments
and beads were wrought Of various stones
and precious metals; ivory combs with
, carved figures adorned the hair: ivory
spoons were used at the table; finely
| formed weapons and tools Of copper sery-
! ed where strength was needful. while
more useful were flint knives and lances.
I which were wrought with a miraculous
finish that has never been reached by any
other people; and games were played with
dainty pieces made of hard stone and of
ivory. But all this tasteful skill of 5000
COCO q. C. had its negative side; in the
artistic copying Of nature the mechanical
/ skill of these people carried them 4 very
little way; their figures and heads of men
and animals are strangely crude. And
f they flau no system OF willing.
marks were commonly used They always
buried the body doubled up, and often pre-
served the head and hands separately.
! Commerce was already active and large
rowing galleys carried the wares OF differ
ent countries around the Mediterranean
These people were the same as the mod
ern Kabyle OF Algeria and akin to the
South European races, but with some ne
gro admiXture. Our whole knowledge of
this age has been gained only within the
/ last five years.
At about 5000 b. c. there poured into
I Egypt a very different people. probably
/ from the Red Sea. Having far more ar
4 tistic taste. a commoner use OF metals,
system of writing already begun, and
more organized government, these fresh
! people started a new civilization in
Egypt Adopting readily the art and skill
1 of the earlier race. they formed by their
union the peculiar culture so well known
as Egyptian, type which lasted for 4 900
F years. The same foundation of a type Is
seen in the bodily structure; the early
historical people had wider heads and
. more slender noses than the prehistoric,
but from 1000 b. C. down to Roman Times
the form shows no change.
From this union Of two able races came
one Of the finest peoples ever seen, the
! Egyptians OF the Old Kingdom, 4500-3500
/ B. C. Full of grand conceptions. active.
able highly mechanical and yet splendid
artists they have left behind them the
greatest masses Of building, the most ac
curate workmanship and exquisite sculp-
/ lures in the grand pyramids and tombs of
! their cemeteries. They perfected the art
| of organizing combined labor on the i'm
Inense public works In all these respects
no later age or country has advanced be-
yond this early ability The moral char
/ acter and ideas are preserved to Us in the
writings Of these people; and VIC there
read OF the ability. reserve. steadfastless
and kindliness which we see reflected n
the lifelike portraiture OF that age.
After a partial decay about 1000 B. C.
| this civilization blossomed out again no
bly, in the twelfth dynasty, about $500
b C; though the works Of this age hardly
reach the high level Of the earlier times,
yet they are finer than anything that fol-
lowed them. At this period more contact
1 with other countries is seen. both Syria
and the Mediterranean were known,
/ though imperiectly.
To this succeeded another decadence
sealed by the disaster OF the foreign in-
I yasion Of the Hyksos. But this was
thrown off by the rise OF a third age of
brilliance-the XVIIth dynasty. 1900
b (Which, though inferior to early
times in its highest work. yet shines u
the wide spread Of art and lGzU
throughout the upper classes. Mag.i.-
/ cence became fashionable. and the lower
. classes c0nlentcd themselves with most
barefaced limitations OF cosby wares
/ Foreign islands came closely ia contact
with Egypt. The ships OF the Syrian
coast and Cyprus continually traded to
and fro. exchanging silver. copper and
precious stones for the gold OF Egypt.
Greece also traded its fine pottery OF the
: MyLeugc.n age fnr the SNOWY nee gylacez