The sun., 1903-02-08
s4faE sung sUNDAY, YfBFfll RAlJs. slS0s.

ceremonial customs. Inc pottery oi tho
pre-dynastic Egyptians was made without
the help of the potter's wheel, OF which they
had no know ledge. The materials employed
by them were Nile mud and clay. A very
large number Of examples Of their earthen-
ware vessels have survived. and these show
that they were highly skilled In the potterr
art. Pottery made from the Nile mud
became OF reddish or yellowish color when
baked, and that made of clay became
bright red. Brown and black vessels were
ira le from paste, with which coloring mat
ter, such a. binoxide Of manganese. had
been mixed. The most interesting speci-
mems OF pre-dynastic pottery are those
which are ornamented with incised designs,
linear and other, and paintings, and those
which arc bi-colored. red and black The
paste of which the red and black pottery
Is made is fine and porous, and was well
kneaded before being worked into shape
the surface is highly polished. the polishing
being done by flint polishers. Red and
black pottery, like that wholly red, is fre-
quently ornanented with designs in white,
wherein geometric ornaments. figures OF
men and animals are represented During
the early dynastic times pieces OF pottery
which in shape and design recall soms OF
the best examples Of indigenous work.
appear In the tombs but, speaking generally
at no period did the Egyptians OF history
succeed in surpassing their less cultured
predecessors in the potter's art With the
advent OF the Asiatic conquerors the potters
art began to languish, and long before the
end OF the rule OF the kings Of the Old EN-
pire. IL had we'll nigh ceased to exist at least
40 far as its connection with funeral rites
was concerned.
Summing up what as yet Ia known con-
cern!ng the pre-dynastic Egyptians, VIC
can see that they were an Indigenous North
African people who lived chiefly by hunt
ing and fishing. and possessed many of
the habits and manners and rust oms OF
tribes Of men that live in valleys through
which flow great rivers, or on plains the
soil OF which has been brought down from
higher land by foods, caused either by rains
or the melting Of snow on the adjoining
mountain ranges They were great work.
ars in flint, and their skill in fashioning
this mat eral into weapons. tools and i'm
p'ements Of all kinds is truly marvellous;
they also possessed great skill in pottery
making. which IL the more 10 be admired
because the potter's wheel was unknown
TO them. They built no houses, or, al least
II they did no remains Of them have been
found. though they probably made habi'a-
tions Of reeds dailbed with mud. or rude
shelters the sides OF which were formed OF
mud which, however. was not made into
bricks, for Of the brickmakers' art they
were ignorant. They made no attempt to
mummify the bodies Of their dead, nor 10
preserve them from natural decay. Event.
ually. but ST i'l in the pre-dynastic period,
bodies were wholly or partly burned. The
pr e-dynastic Egyptians were not canni-
bals. and their cemeteries seem TO indicate
that they were not war!ike race: OF their
position in the scale of civilization and de-
velopment we can only Judge by their at
tempts at sculp.ur and design. which
were not Of high order Notwithstanding
these facts. they succeeded in influencing
their Asiatic conquerors in many ways.
and a number of the pec,iliafi'i.s which are
made known 20 us by the inscriptions and
OF her remains Of the New Race had
originated among the indigenous peoples.
The conQuerors and the conquered seem
20 have been totally distinct races, both
physically and mentally, and, "a a natural
result, there was a sharp difference in their
habits, manners, customs and capabilities,
A difference exempl1cd in their burial
customs. The main divisions OF the tombs
of the dynastic Egyptians l. e., the mummy
chamber. the shaft or corridor, ,andthe chapel
or hall for offerings, represent funeral GUS
toms and beliefs which we're unknown o their
semi -barbarous predecessors. Concerning
the religious beliefs and views OF the pre-
dynastic Egypt ians but little can be said.
vet Il Ia evident that the living would never
have made, as they did make. funeral offer
ines to the dead unless they had believed
that they would live again in some form or
other. Judging from the flint weapons and
implements found in the graves, We are no
doubt Just flied in assuming that the life
which they thou ugh, their dead would inherit
after deaf would In it's conditions resemble
that which they had lived upon earth.
Whcth her in the earliest period they had
formulated any ideas as to the existence OF
a divine power cannot hc affirmed, hut
DR.. Bulge considers that there is good
reason for thinking that they had, and also
that such ideas We're not on the levc, with
those which We are accustomed To find
among peoples that are barbarous or semi
savage.
We have here set forth as succinctly as
possibe what DR.. Bulge has TO tell US about
the pre-dynastic Egypt ians. IN subse-
ouent not ca We shall direct attention to the
la,es, conclusions Of Es, biologists regard
ing the state OF things in the Nile Valley
under the builders of the Pyramids. that is
TO say, during the Old Empire. NJ. W. Il.